


Sweet Senses

by ItIsWhatItIs9194, Teddy1008



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Ageplay, Anal Sex, Angst, Anne isn't really a good character, BDSM, BDSM!AU, Blowjobs, But Louis makes it better, But not from Louis, But only as a publicity stunt, Consensual, Depression, Discipline, Dom Liam, Dom Louis, Dom Niall, Dom Zayn, Dom/sub, Elounor, Harry is a bit depressed, Humiliation, Hurt/Comfort, Kink Negotiation, M/M, More tags to be added, No forced outing, Nothing is forced upon Harry!, Past Verbal Abuse, Praise Kink, Punishment, Sad Harry, Slow Burn, Spanking, Sub Drop, Sub Harry, Subspace, Verbal Abuse, handjobs, larry stylinson - Freeform, no non-con
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-03
Updated: 2017-11-25
Packaged: 2018-10-14 07:08:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 27,715
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10531434
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ItIsWhatItIs9194/pseuds/ItIsWhatItIs9194, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Teddy1008/pseuds/Teddy1008
Summary: It definitely would not seem natural if someone caught him staring after Louis.After all, he was supposed to be a Dom.And a Dominant couldn't have a crush on another Dom.Or, where Harry Styles' confidence in naturally being born a submissive has been tainted all life by his mum — so much that the whole world now thinks he's a Dominant. But that shouldn't cause any problems, should it? Not until he falls in love with Dominant Louis Tomlinson.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Well hello there! If you haven't already, please go check out our other co-written fic, "Like a Dream!" This one contains a bit more angst than the other one, but it'll be just as good! Ideas are always welcome; they're what keeps us going. As a warning, in this story, Harry's mum Anne isn't portrayed as a good character. Just saying, you have been warned and from now on you continue reading at your own risk.
> 
> Feel welcome to contact us in any way you want, as listed in the end notes!
> 
> Enjoy, loves!

It wasn’t always that Harry would go to bed shivering in fear.

He did fear everything, after all. He feared the dark, he feared pain, he feared death, but most of all?

He feared judgement.

It was really fate’s fault, in his opinion. After all, he hadn’t chosen to be born a sub. In fact, if he’d had the choice, he would’ve chosen to be a Dom instead, if it meant that he would get his mum’s praise and approval.

Perhaps that was what made him make the decisions that were now controlling his life as Harry Styles in the famous boy band One Direction — the lack of exactly what he wanted and needed as a true sub.

Praise and approval.

Even a single compliment of, ‘ _Good lad for getting a hundred on your Sub Etiquettes test,_ ’ would have made him melt. But no, his mum just had to hate him for being born a natural sub.

He did understand why exactly his mum and even Gemma had been shocked to find that he was a sub, not a Dom. It was a well-known fact that their entire family, except for Harry’s great-grandmother, had been Dominants. Men especially had never been subs.

Until Harry was born, that is.

His mum thought that he was tainted, and that his blood was contaminated. ‘ _You worthless boy_ ,’ she would say whenever Harry came home and handed her his Sub Etiquettes test, or even his math test — it wasn’t even BDSM related! ‘ _You should have been placed in Dom Etiquettes class, not a submissives’ class! Thank goodness Gemma was a Dom. At least she’s doing something right._ ’

Gemma would just smile weakly at Anne’s hurtful words. She would send Harry an apologetic look and a reassuring smile as if trying to say, _don’t listen to her._

And Harry did. He really, really tried not to believe that what his mum said wasn’t true. But it was hard to do so when he heard those words every single day. It always seemed like he could do nothing right — until he got into X–Factor and became a band with four others boys, who were now his brothers.

Harry still remembered their very first conversation remarkably well. They had first exchanged names, obviously. Then, the next step had been to announce their status — Dom or sub. Much to his dismay, all the other boys had been Doms. That meant he would be the only sub. He’d opened his mouth to declare his title, when his mum’s words rang in his ears, haunting him.

_You’ll never deserve or get love if you’re a sub._

He’d visibly flinched, and the other boys, Louis in particular, gave him a genuinely concerned look. Harry coughed it off, pretending that he’d accidentally choked on his own saliva or something. It wasn’t the best first impression, but it would be better than the truth. “Dom,” Harry had said. “‘M a Dom too.” He gave a hopefully–not–visibly forced smile. “No subs in the band, then?”

“Guess not,” Liam had laughed. “You okay, though? You had a bit of a jump there.”

“Yeah,” Harry had assured. “I’m fine. Just feeling a little bit peaky.”

“You do look a bit pale,” Niall had noted. “Wanna go get a cup of water?”

Then, as Harry had gone to get himself a ‘cup of water,’ as suggested, he’d wondered when he would actually be able to escape his mum’s harsh treatment. He probably never would.

“Harry? Hazza!”

Harry jumped, startled at the hand on his lower back, right where his sub mark was. He pulled away instinctively. It had been drilled into his head by no other than his mum that his sub mark was what titled him weak and useless. He was pretty sensitive when it came to the topic of sub and Dom marks. But then again, he was thankful that they hadn’t been asked to show their marks during an interview … yet. He always couldn’t help but stare at the other boys’ marks jealously for a few seconds before realizing that he was not being subtle at all.

“Honestly, Hazza, you’re daydreaming so much today! And right before a show too!” Louis grinned, playfulness glinting in his eyes. He frowned when Harry just stared at him, mouth dry and unsure of what to say. “You okay? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“Um, y–yeah,” Harry managed to stutter. “‘M fine. You just surprised me, is all.”

“Yeah? Sorry ‘bout that.” Louis grinned, eyes crinkling with his smile which showed that he was truly and genuinely happy. “Didn’t think you were _that_ deep into your thoughts. You’re a bit of a thinker lately, hm?”

Harry laughed. “Yeah,” was all he said.

Louis smiled kindly and patted his back, not exactly on his hidden sub mark but a bit above it. “Well, hurry up. We’ve got a few minutes until we have to go out and perform. This one’s gonna be fun, from the sounds of it.” Louis winked and skipped away, ever so happy.

Harry stared after him, still feeling the small of his back tingle from where Louis had touched him.

 _I shouldn’t have moved away,_ he thought regretfully. _Then he would’ve still been touching me._ It may or may not be true that he had a crush on the blue–eyed Dominant. He was just so charming, so sweet, so nice, and just _perfect_ . He blinked rapidly, trying to jerk himself out of his stupor. It definitely would _not_ seem natural if someone caught him staring after Louis.

After all, he was supposed to be a Dom.

And a Dominant couldn’t have a crush on another Dom.

Even so, he gathered his thoughts and directed them at the task at hand, which was performing. Yet again. Despite the fact that they’d performed several times in front of a humongous crowd, he couldn't help but feel nervous before each show.

Most people would generally have jitters before going onstage to perform in front of thousands of people, but Harry knew that his submissive instincts made it even worse. If he was being honest, he did wish that he could just act submissive in front of the other lads, and even in public. It would be much more comfortable. The only people who knew were, of course, his family, and some members of Modest! Management — the only reason management knew being the fact that he’d had to announce his status (privately, thank goodness) when first becoming part of the now famous boy band.

Being in a boyband — a very famous one, too — definitely had its perks, such as the thrill of being able to sing and perform in front of others, becoming friends with the other lads — no, not friends, but brothers — the income, although he would never dare to publicly say the last one.

But not a single beneficial factor of being in the boyband would make the fact that he felt uncomfortable with his own status to hide it from the others better. He doubted he would ever be comfortable telling others that he was actually a sub, not a Dom. Not to mention, it would cause a huge fuss in the headlines, and the last thing he wanted was crazy paps.

“You’re daydreaming a lot today.” Liam broke his train of thoughts.

Harry, in a slight bad mood at the thought of having to keep his classification a secret, glared at Liam. “Don’t think it’s your business,” he muttered.

Liam seemed slightly taken aback by Harry’s rude words. The curly–haired boy was so sweet and polite to others that all the other lads knew something was wrong when he wasn’t as sweet as usual. “Sorry, mate,” he said, raising an eyebrow. “Didn’t mean to try and intrude your privacy or anything.”

“Well, you must’ve, because otherwise you wouldn’t have said it,” Harry grumbled.

Liam’s eyes flared indignantly, and the boy seemed to be preparing to spit out a retort when someone stopped them.

“Hey, now, what’s going on?” Louis jumped in before it seemed like it could get worse.

“ _Someone’s_ in a bad mood,” Liam grumbled, shooting a look at Harry.

“That someone is ready to castrate you unless you learn some proper manners on respecting privacy,” Harry muttered. The moment he spoke those words, his mind screamed at him to drop to his knees in apology. ‘ _WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!_ ’ it seemed to shriek. _Drop, kneel, right now! Disrespecting a Dom like that!_ ’

He gritted his teeth, fighting against his instincts, and just muttered, “Sorry.”

Liam muttered something under his breath and shook his head, getting up and going elsewhere.

Harry almost felt like he wanted to cry. _Why had I been so rude? I need to go apologize!_

“Haz,” Louis whispered, putting a comforting hand on Harry's shoulder before he could get up and leave. “Do you wanna talk?”

The sub shook his head, shrugging Louis’ hand off his shoulder. “No,” he grumbled, wiping under his nose. “Please don't touch me.”

“What—”

“I don't want to talk, okay? Why do you guys think it's okay to invade my privacy?!” he snapped snarkily, then covered his mouth in horror at what he said. “I mean — sorry,” he blurted out, then left the room to get ready for the show, ignoring Louis’ calls for him as he ran down the hall.

_____

The concert had went the way they always did.

Harry put on a fake smile, sang until his throat hurt, and waved at all the fans. The fans didn't know, obviously, but his excitement had been fake tonight. He was too upset to be happy, even for the fans.

That was when he knew something was really bothering him — when he couldn't even muster up real, true happiness for their fans.

He'd took off his sweaty clothes and showered immediately after the show, eager to cry his eyes out while he had fifteen minutes to himself. It was strange to him, but his emotions seemed to affect him more on certain days.

And today just happened to be one of them.

With a sigh, he turned the water off and grabbed a towel, wrapping it around himself. He made sure it stayed wrapped around his upper body, not wanting to show his submissive mark to anyone by accident. It was weird, but he had to do it if he wanted to stay in the band. Surely the boys wouldn't want a useless submissive like himself to be associated with them in any way.

He tried to wipe that thought from his mind as he dried his hair — he needed to cheer up so he could have fun at the club with the others tonight. Adjusting the towel around himself and making sure his mark was in no way visible, he opened the bathroom door and stepped out into their dressing room.

To his surprise, Louis was sitting on the couch right in front of him, but that wasn't what shocked Harry — he wasn't alone. Eleanor, Louis’ friend and beard, sat next to him. The two were talking about something and laughing, and Harry couldn't help the pang of jealousy he felt. Why was she even here anyway?

“Oh, hi, Harry,” Eleanor greeted casually, like he wasn't standing in front of her nearly naked.

“Um, hi,” Harry said awkwardly, looking to Louis for guidance on how to handle the situation. After all, it wasn't in his instincts to make his own decisions; he needed help with that, from a Dom.

Louis finally noticed the tension. “El, can you wait outside, please?” he asked, and she nodded instantly, getting up to leave.

Once the two of them were alone, Harry eyed Louis hard. “Why did you think it was a good idea to bring her in here?” he asked, annoyed. “I'm not dressed!”

“Sorry, Haz,” Louis said with a frown. “I didn't know you were in the shower.”

Harry rolled his eyes, but didn't comment on the situation any further. He needed to be polite, after all. Good subs were always polite and respectful. “Okay,” he said and reached for his clothes.

Louis suddenly got a mischievous look in his eyes. “Why do you always wear your towel like a woman?” he asked with a chuckle.

The sub laughed nervously, clutching his clothes to his chest. “Oh, it's just easier this way; it doesn't fall off,” he said, not able to come up with a more believable excuse.

But it didn't matter, because Louis bought it, it seemed. Who knew it was so easy to lie to a Dom? Then again, Louis might've known he was lying — maybe he just didn't want to give him a hard time. It seemed like the type of thing Louis would do.

“Whatever you say, Hazza,” Louis said with a grin. He stood up and tugged on the end of the towel a bit, just trying to tease Harry, much like a brother would.  

“Hey!” Harry shrieked, backing up. “Not funny,” he whined, trying to seem mostly unbothered, although he was freaking out on the inside. What if Louis had seen his mark?

“I'm just messing with you,” Louis said with an amused laugh. “Go on, go change.” He ruffled Harry's curls.

The order nearly made Harry melt, even though he knew Louis wasn't trying to tell him what to do. It was in the man’s instincts — he was Dominant by nature, and Harry loved it.

Not daring to disobey, Harry snuck back inside the bathroom and dropped his towel, throwing on his clothes. When he stepped back into the dressing room, the other boys were there as well, and Eleanor had returned.

He tried not to give her a look of disgust, because none of this was her fault, and she was a very nice girl. Modest! Management paid her to be Louis’ beard, simply because they thought the blue–eyed man showed his ‘gayness’ too much. _What assholes_ , Harry thought.

“Who's ready to go clubbing?” Niall hollered, and everyone cheered, including Harry. He really was excited to go out and get a bit wasted — he'd had a rough day, and he figured he deserved it.

“Hey, Haz,” Liam called, coming up to the boy and giving him a one-armed hug. “I'm sorry about earlier; I didn't realize I was bothering you so much. That wasn't my intention,” he said and tapped Harry's dimples.

“Thanks, Lima,” he replied with a grin. “It's okay; I just wasn't having a good day.”

“Well let's fix that by getting piss drunk!” Zayn jumped in, and Harry burst out laughing. “We deserve this, lads!”

“That we do,” Harry agreed with a smile.

He could only hope his emotions didn't ruin a good night.

_____

Harry was in a bad mood the moment they stepped out of the car to go to the club. The paps swarmed them like a herd of sharks, but security managed to get the boys and Eleanor into the club. The booming of music could be heard from outside.

Harry scampered into the club, blushing when Louis chuckled and murmured, “Excited?”

Before Harry could answer, the Dom wrapped his arm around Eleanor’s waist, and pulled her through the crowd of people in the club, heading towards the bar. Harry grumbled to himself as people gasped and squealed at the pair.

“Aww, Louis, you brought your sub to the club?” Harry heard one of the girls squeal excitedly, and he barely managed to stop himself from gagging.

“I did,” Louis responded with an easy smile. “She was being a very good girl, so I thought she deserved a little treat.”

“Awww,” the girls cooed. “That's so adorable!”

Harry couldn’t help but stare — or rather, glare. _I wonder what people would say if they knew the truth_ , he grumbled. Realizing that he wasn’t exactly being subtle with his glowering, he straightened, pushed through the crowd of people, and headed up to the bar.

He knew it wasn't Louis’ fault, so he tried not to blame him. It wasn't a real relationship, but it still hurt. He wanted praise from Louis more than anything, even for the most simple of things. Praise on his outfit, his obedience, being polite — anything would be better than the horrifying words that replayed themselves over and over in his head.

The bartender asked what he wanted to drink, and he ordered a coke and rum. What better thing to do than drink his feelings away at a time like this? He took a gulp of the alcohol and looked around the club, trying to spot the boys.

He could see Louis dancing with Eleanor, but she wasn't being too terribly handsy — just touched him when required and acted as any normal submissive would with their Dominant. Niall was jumping around with some other lads, already looking pretty drunk. Harry eyed him jealously, wishing he could be like Niall — he was happy, was the thing, and Harry wasn't.

Happiness made him incredibly jealous.

Apparently, Liam and Zayn were nowhere to be found, because he couldn't spot them anywhere in the club. He didn't really care what they were doing, anyway; Eleanor had already ruined his night. Even though he told himself he wouldn't let her, she did.

“You a submissive?” a gruff voice asked, and Harry jumped. A buff man was sitting in the seat next to him at the bar, and Harry could smell the alcohol on his breath.

“Um, no,” he said hesitantly, scooting back on his chair a little. “I'm a Dom.” He mustered up enough confidence to tell the lie. Even though he lied about his classification every day, it didn't make it any easier. Sure, he wanted to be a Dom, but he also just wanted to be a submissive that was loved and cared for.

The man chuckled humourlessly and took a long gulp of his drink. “Let's see your mark, then,” he challenged with a raised eyebrow. “Turn around.”

Harry gaped and shook his head, desperately trying to find the bartender or someone who want drunk. It wasn't like he could call any of the lads over to help him, because he couldn't reveal his secret. “N–No,” he managed shakily. “I'm not required to show you my mark. I'm a Dom.”

The man rolled his eyes. “I can always tell when subs lie,” he muttered irritably. “But whatever. You're not worth it anyway.”

_Not worth it._

It was silly, really, that those words got to him. They came from some gross man he didn't even know, but they still hurt. As a submissive, he couldn't just forget insults like that — especially with all the ones he'd already had thrown at him over the years.

He moved seats in the club, giving the man a glare but he didn’t notice it. He was probably too drunk to realize the hateful look Harry gave him. Harry took long gulps of his drink, trying even faster to get drunk. When he was drunk, he wouldn’t be able to feel any sadness or stress of hiding his classification.

He would feel happy and forget about all the troubles in the world.

It was wrong, really, being honest, to get happiness from something as bad as getting drunk. But what could he do? There wasn’t any other way he’d be able to get it. He could always just reveal his classification as a sub, he mused as he took another gulp. But he didn’t want to know what his mum would say to that. She’d probably just hate him even more. The public, on the other hand, would go wild with the newly obtained information. In fact, Modest! Management encouraged him to publicly reveal his status, just to gain more popularity for the group.

He was beginning to feel lightheaded, and his heart raced with the slowly increasing feeling. Just a little more gulps of the substance and he’d be drunk.

Then he would be happy.

Although, a small part of him always feared what would happen if, one day, in his drunk state, he blurted out that he was a submissive. That was why he always tried to keep his cool even when drunk. He was glad he didn’t turn into some babbling fool when he got drunk, unlike others. He had never revealed anything when he was drunk, though, so hopefully nothing would happen this time either. Although, he was already beginning to have a bad feeling.

Feeling a sudden burst of energy, he grabbed his drink and brought it with him to the dance floor. He waded through crowds of people, wincing when they hit him by accident. His drink spilled a little on the floor from getting sloshed around with his somewhat clumsy walking, but he didn't care.

He found Louis on the dance floor with Eleanor, the sub clearly drunk and Louis a little tipsy. Doms didn't get drunk as easily as submissives did, which made Harry glad he was a sub for once at this moment — since he could drink his problems away faster.

“Harryyy!” Eleanor slurred and wrapped an arm around his waist, walking him to a more secluded part of the dance floor. “What's up?” she slurred.

“Noth—” Harry was about to reply, but his phone vibrated in his pocket. He let out an exaggerated groan and fished for it, nearly spilling his drink a million times in the process.

“What?” Eleanor asked curiously.

As soon as Harry read his mum’s contact name, he didn't even read the message. He already knew what it said: _‘Remember, you're supposed to be a Dominant.’_ She sent him the same text every single day.

“Just a text from my mum,” Harry said with a roll of his eyes. “Honestly, I don't get why she even bothers anymore. I already know I’m supposed to be a Dom,” he said exasperatedly.

Eleanor furrowed her eyebrows and tilted her head in confusion. She may have been drunk, but she still understood what Harry said. “What?” she repeated.

“I'm sick and tired of acting like a Dom,” Harry groaned, pulling at his hair. “I'm _not_ a Dom. I _want_ a Dom; not to _be_ one. Honestly, I'm the most submissive person ever. How can none of you imbeciles see that?”

“Harry,” Eleanor murmured nervously when she noticed Louis heading towards them. “Haz!” She put a hand on his shoulder and raised her voice when he continued rambling, seemingly not even listening to her.

“What?!” Harry snarled. “I'm so _angry!_ Don't fucking talk to me, alright? I don't want to be a Dom!”

Eleanor shrank back, but kept her cool. “Haz, I know you don't want to,” she said soothingly. “I know.”

“What's going on here?” Louis asked with a grin, appearing by the two with a drink in hand. “We've gotta act like Dom and sub, remember, El? Or are you too drunk to remember?” he teased.

“Yeah, I know,” Eleanor brushed him off. “Lemme just speak to Harry a bit.”

Louis shrugged and went back to dancing with some other friends, and Harry looked after him longingly.

“I should be his,” he muttered, leaning drunkenly onto Eleanor’s shoulder. “I'm a good sub. I know I am. Why aren't I his?”

The female sub bit her lip, suddenly feeling way less drunk. She needed to help Harry. “Harry,” she said, lowering her voice. “You need to be quiet. What if people hear?” She glanced around, and gulped when she saw people staring. She was still drunk, so her mind was fuzzy, but she knew that it had to be kept a secret.

“I don’t give a shit,” Harry drawled, sounding dead. “Why would they care? I’m worthless! That’s what the truth is.”

Eleanor frowned, feeling slightly hurt. Submissives were definitely _not_ worthless! In fact, they were the ones who held the relationship together, the ones who would please the Doms in order to receive their own content, the ones who had complete control over scenes and the relationship itself. But she doubted that in her drunk state, she wouldn’t be able to express those thoughts lingering in her head to the upset sub. She opened her mouth, not sure of what to say, when Harry interrupted her.

“Wait,” he mumbled. “How do you know I’m a sub?”

Eleanor bit her lip, slightly amused. Drunk Harry would always be one of her favourites. “Harry, you told me.” She snorted. “Besides, I’ve always known. Puh–lease!” She dragged the word out. “I’m surprised other people haven’t noticed yet. Those looks that you have on your face whenever I hold hands with Louis?” She leaned in and giggled, ignoring the shocked look on the curly–haired boy’s face. “Don’t worry.” She winked. “I’m not actually dating him.”

Harry snorted and shoved the other sub drunkenly. “I know, El!” He rolled his eyes.

“You’re so drunk,” Eleanor giggled.

Harry stared at her as if she’d grown a pair of horns.

“What?”

“How did you know I was a sub?” Harry asked again, looking extremely confused.

Eleanor stared, jaw dropping. “You really are drunk,” she laughed. She leaned in again and whispered, “Harry, I’ve always known.”

Harry stared at her for a few minutes. Then he felt his eyes begin to sting. Had he really been that obvious? Had he really shown so much weakness in public? Submissives were weak. That was what had been drilled into his head. Was he _trying_ to make his mum even more ashamed of him? He turned around, body numb with shock, taking another long swallow of his drink.

“Where’re you goin’, Harry?” Eleanor said slowly, confused.

“Hotel,” Harry mumbled, before staggering into the crowd of people in the club.

“Haz!” a voice yelled out, but Harry ignored it. He didn't feel like talking to anyone anymore — he just wanted to go back to the hotel and sleep. Turns out drinking had not given him the desired effect, sadly. He was even more upset than he was before.

He heard the same voice yelling after him again, and he finally huffed and turned around. Tears blurred his vision, but he could make out the figure of Louis making his way towards him. “What?” he slurred tiredly, holding his head. He already had a pounding headache, from drinking and all his crying.

“Where are you going? How are you getting back to the hotel?” Louis asked worriedly, placing a hand on the small of his back, making his sub mark tingle unintentionally.

Harry flinched back, so desperately wanting Louis’ hands on him, but not when he couldn't have him. It made him much too upset, and he didn't need to be upset anymore. “‘M getting a cab,” he mumbled and tried to squirm out of Louis’ grip, but the Dom was strong.

“Haz, no. That's not safe,” he protested. “Just let me go with you. I'll call Alberto and he'll take us back.”

The sub furrowed his eyebrows, not fully comprehending what Louis just said in his drunken state. But he didn't care at this point — he understood they were going back to the hotel, and that's all he needed to know. “Whatever,” he relented, allowing the older boy to lead him out of the club.

“You know, I don't understand how you get so drunk. It's really not—” Louis was rambling, suddenly seeming very Dom–like, but Harry tried to ignore that fact.

“Wait, what about Eleanor? Who's taking her back?” he asked the Dom, worried for the girl. She was extremely drunk as well and needed to be safe. Plus, wouldn't the paps suspect something if she wasn't with Louis?

“It’ll be fine,” Louis responded easily, grimacing when he heard a few calls from the paps. “The story is that we were both feeling nauseous from the alcohol, so we decided leave while Eleanor decided to stay and then come to the hotel with the others.”

“Okay,” Harry said, not really comprehending what Louis had just told him, but it didn’t matter. He didn’t really care. What mattered to him at the moment was the fact that Louis — Louis fucking Tomlinson — had his hand on his back and was leading him as if he were his Dom. He was surprised he hadn’t fainted of excitement yet.

“I thought you wanted to go to the hotel?” Louis inquired, puzzled when Harry tried to head back into the club.

“Yeah.” Harry’s brows furrowed, confused.

Louis stifled a laugh. “You’re so drunk! That’s not the direction to the hotel, just saying.” He smirked, and was relieved when Alberto came with the car. “C’mon, Hazza, let’s go.” He grimaced when he heard squeals from girls and catcalls from the paps.

“Louis, mate, c’mon, just look here so we can get a picture!”

 _Like hell I will_ , Louis thought scathingly. He pushed the drunk boy into the car and they drove off.

“I’m so sad, Lou,” Harry said sadly, looking out the window.

“How come, Hazza?” Louis asked, concerned. He looked out the window, a little concerned for Eleanor now. She wasn’t his real submissive, but that didn’t mean he didn’t care about her!

“I dunno.” Harry sounded confused himself, so Louis decided not to press him any further. “There was this guy,” he groaned, sounding exhausted.

Louis laughed, his eyes crinkling. “What guy?”

“This big, mean guy. He kept trying to hook up with me, but I told him no,” he said with a grimace. “He was a bitch.”

The Dom’s face pulled into a frown, disliking the fact that someone was pushy with Harry. “When was this?”

“I don't fucking know,” Harry slurred, then hit himself on the face. “Owwww,” he moaned and slumped in his seat.

Louis let the topic go, figuring Harry was way too drunk to explain himself. Maybe this was why he was sad — because of the ‘guy?’

He watched as the boy continued to mumble nonsense to himself, multiple curse words flying off his tongue. He'd never heard Harry curse so much, and he was almost itching to scold him for it. He hated the way it sounded coming from someone as sweet as Harry. Wait, what? Why was he having these thoughts? Harry was a Dom — he couldn't scold Doms!

“Lou,” Harry said sadly, interrupting his own ramble. “There's this other guy, you know …” he trailed off, picking at his fingers.

“Yes?” Louis leaned forward, listening intently. He'd always be there for his friend, no doubt.

“And he keeps breaking my heart,” Harry whispered, clutching his chest, as if his heart truly did hurt.

Louis swallowed, eyeing Harry curiously. “Who is it?” he asked slowly.

Harry shrugged and sighed loudly, looking out the window again.

Louis bit his lip. He was extremely curious about who it was, but it would be wrong to take advantage of Harry's drunkenness. Maybe just one more question wouldn’t hurt … “You're a Dom, Haz. Have you found a sub you like?”

The other lad stared at Louis for a good few seconds, like he didn't understand what his friend had asked him. And, maybe he hadn’t, for in the end he shrugged again and let out an exasperated groan. “He just keeps breaking my heart, Lou. What do I do?”

And Louis wanted to help, he really did, but how was he to know if what Harry was saying in this state was even true? Even so, he shrugged back and said, “Keep showing him you want him to be yours.”

Harry rolled his eyes and grumbled something under his breath, before the car stopped in front of the Ritz Carlton.

They headed upstairs, the elevator filled with a silence as they headed to their floor.

“You gonna be okay?” Louis asked, stopping in front of Harry’s room.

“Yeah.” Harry blinked at him, as if a bit dazed. “Night. Thanks.”

“It wasn’t any trouble,” Louis assured. He pressed a light peck on Harry’s cheek, then glanced around anxiously. The kiss hadn’t meant anything in _that_ way, after all.

Harry entered his room, fumbling with the door handle. He let the door fall shut behind him and he immediately fell onto his bed, exhausted. He felt a little angry, because usually getting drunk helped him cheer up. Not this time, unfortunately.

His phone dinged, alerting him, and he picked it up with trembling fingers. He growled when he saw what it was. It was an article with a photo of him and Louis heading into the car. He threw the phone down onto the nightstand, not willing to read it. It would just be a load of bullshit, after all.

He leaned back and let out a quiet scream behind his hands, incredibly frustrated with himself and his mum and Louis and Eleanor and the entire world. Why did life have to be so difficult? His life had always been horrible when he lived at home with his mum, but he'd gotten some relief once he was placed in One Direction.

It had been so simple in the beginning. Louis had told all of them proudly that he was gay and a Dom, and Harry had confessed his sexuality confidently as well, save for his classification.

He and Louis had instantly become best friends, and they had so much fun when they filmed the video diaries together. Everything they did was passed off as innocent, and he wished it could be that way again.

Biting his lip, he eyed his laptop on the edge of his bed. Maybe reminiscing on the good ol’ times would do him some good. He reached for it and opened it up to YouTube, where he typed in, ‘ _Larry Stylinson Moments.’_ Thousands of videos popped up, but he clicked on the very first one, eager to see what things their fans had noticed now.

The video had What Makes You Beautiful playing in the background, and a smile instantly formed on his face. That song cheered him up like no other, because it reminded him of rehearsing the vocals for it with Louis, back when everything was beginning to look up for him.

He leaned closer to the computer, a small smile now playing on his lips and staying throughout the ten minute video. As he watched a [clip](http://media.tumblr.com/18d0281d403b85bf67da8705fdb3bfab/tumblr_inline_mflzq4OvJk1qdnz5f.gif) of Louis placing a hand on the small of his back and leading him through a crowd on the red carpet with not a care in the world if anyone saw, he couldn't help but let a few tears fall, despite the smile on his face.

Everything used to be so simple.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy! Please tell us what you thought at the end; we'd appreciate it! How do you feel about a Larry texts fic as well? Please let us know! :)
> 
> The BDSM Documentary 'Kink' is an actual documentary! We did not make it up, so therefore we don't take credit for it.
> 
> P.S. Harry's song? What'd you think? :p

Harry's body was heating up, and he felt incredibly sweaty. He constantly rubbed his hands against his jeans to dry them, but his nerves only produced more of the sticky substance.

He bit his lip and adjusted his blazer, then swept a hand across his forehead to fix his curls. Of course, the fans would always love the way he looked, but that didn't mean he always did. Fans liked to think celebrities — Harry _hated_ that word — were always one hundred percent confident in themselves, but that was far from the truth. Every time Harry stepped foot on stage or into the spotlight (which was basically anywhere outside his home), he couldn't help but question how he looked.

Maybe it was the sub in him, he mused. It sure would help if he had a Dominant there to encourage him, to kiss every part of his body and tell him he was gorgeous.

If only.

“Haz? We're needed on stage,” Zayn called, peeking his head into the bathroom.

The boy jumped and gave his band mate a small, tight–lipped smile and a nod. “Right,” he said dismissively. “I'll be there.”

“Alright. Just please hurry,” Zayn said with a hint of urgency, and Harry huffed. Why did management have to always rush everything, except the things they wanted? Such as Louis coming out, for example.

He pushed that annoying thought away and eyed himself one last time in the mirror, before he began to make his way to the stage.

However, a spontaneous tingle on his submissive mark stopped him in his steps, and he paused. He lifted the back of his shirt and rubbed the small of his back, right where the mark was engraved into his skin.

It sure would be nice to have a Dominant to do so, he thought grumpily.

“Harry! C’mon — we're starting!”

The boy huffed and ran out of the bathroom, making his way through several doors before he arrived backstage.

“Where were you?” Louis asked him, attaching his mic to his shirt before he grabbed Harry's and clipped it on his shirt as well. Harry nearly preened, but forced himself not to show any reaction.

“Washroom,” Harry replied shortly, and before Louis could utter another word, they were called onto the stage.

Like always, the five boys walked on the stage in their usual order, with Harry being the first, and Louis following directly behind him. They waved and smiled enthusiastically at the cheering crowd, all looking eager to be on Ellen’s show. It _was_ always funny.

However, it looked like this time it would not be.

From the moment they all sat down on the one couch, Harry's sub mark would _not_ stop tingling. Maybe it was because Louis was sitting right next to him, or maybe it was because he had touched it himself earlier. Whatever it was, it put him in a submissive mood. And when he was feeling submissive during times like this — where they were in the public eye — it was very difficult.

“How are we, lads? Good?” Ellen asked excitedly, and all the boys nodded and gave murmured replies. “Great! I have a series of questions for you all, so let's get going …” she trailed off, opening her first card of questions.

And it may have sounded rather stupid, but Harry much preferred it when they played silly, mindless games during interviews, because then he didn't have to think about his answers.

Thinking and answering questions was incredibly exhausting when you were forced to hide something.

“First off — how are all your subs? Louis, Zayn, I believe you two are the only ones taken?” Ellen asked, and Harry nearly rolled his eyes. It was always the same old questions, just a different interviewer and different day.

Louis grinned, but of course, it wasn't genuine — they all knew it wasn't. Still, though, it hurt. “El is wonderful,” he said. “She's a very well behaved sub and I'm very happy.”

Unsurprisingly, the audience members all cooed. Harry didn't know how no one could sense the underlying fakeness behind Louis’ answer; his words had been so generic and bland to what a Dom would say about his real sub.

And of course, that thought led to him wondering how Louis would praise him if he were his, but he couldn't think about that right now.

Zayn murmured his reply to the question, which consisted of much more meaningful, true words, and they moved onto the next question.

And that's where Harry's doom increased even more.

“Harry,” Ellen began, eyeing him with a smile, “how is it being in a Dom–only band?” she asked with a grin.

The sub shifted, knowing all eyes were on him right now. “Um,” he stammered, then cleared his throat. _Sound confident! Doms have to be confident, and you're supposed to be a Dom! Not an insecure sub!_ his mind screamed at him. “It's interesting, I guess. We all get along really well, and there's no prejudice or anything, so it's great.” His heart was pounding.

Ellen grinned. “I'm glad to hear that,” she said, then focused her attention on Louis. “Louis, what's your opinion on this question? Do you agree with Harry?”

“Oh, yeah, definitely,” Louis answered easily. “We do all get along really well. To be honest, I was expecting there to be at least one sub in the band, but when we first got put together and we announced our classifications, Harry went last, and he's a Dom. So yeah, it was a bit surprising at first, but it's good,” he said with a nod.

“Strange how that happened,” Ellen commented, then proceeded to make a joke which made the audience howl with laughter, as usual. “Glad that you all had a big laugh,” she chuckled. “We’ll be playing a game called ‘Situational Moments’ now with our five favourite boys!”

Harry prayed that it wouldn’t be anything too hard. Although, judging from the name … it couldn’t be good. Not for him, at least.

“I’ll be saying a certain situation to each of you, one by one, and you’ll say what you would do in that situation. It’s simple enough!” Ellen grinned. “It would be more funny if we had at least one sub in the band, but ah, well, what can we do?” She gave a little shrug. “Why don’t we start with you, Zayn? What would you do if …” She squinted. “What kind of question is this? What would you do if your sub refused to give you a blowjob?”

Zayn smiled lightly, though he slightly grimaced at the odd content of the question. Harry saw Ellen give them a small, quick apologetic glance, and he immediately realized that she too had been hesitant about the content. She was probably being forced to ask these.

“Well, for one, Perrie’s never refused,” Zayn laughed lightly, the audience laughing along. Harry saw the dark–haired boy’s hands twitch, indicating that he was far more nervous than he sounded. “So I’m not really sure when this would ever happen, but … I suppose it would depend on the mood we’re in. If we’re both in the mood, then I would use my Dom voice and probably guide her onto my cock … but if she’s not in the mood, then I would be concerned, I guess. I’d just sit her down and ask her if she’s okay and continue it off from there depending on how she responds.”

“Good answer.” Ellen smiled. “As a Domme myself, that’s probably what I would do … although, I don’t have one of those things that you all do.” She grinned, and Harry giggled.

The next target was Louis.

“Louis, do you have a tendency to allow your sub to tease you?” Ellen inquired, though she raised an eyebrow, slightly disapprovingly, at the card which contained the questions.

“Rarely, I do,” Louis answered promptly. Harry could almost see Louis’ brain scrambling to find a good answer. Honestly, was he the only one who didn’t hear the genuinity in Louis’ voice?! “It’s usually me teasing her, not the other way around.”

Harry couldn’t help but blush and squirm a little at the Dom’s smooth response. He couldn’t help but imagine himself with Louis … Louis teasing him … Louis’ soft, velvety voice praising him for being such a good boy …

“Hazza!”

Harry jumped, going rigid.

“Ellen’s asking you a question,” Louis hissed, giving him a slightly disapproving look that made Harry shrink back.

“Sorry,” he whispered. “Zoned out for a moment there.”

Ellen kindly repeated the question. “How does being a Dom affect how you act in public or on stage? Do you ever feel the need to use your Dom voice or act dominant in public?”

Oh. That certainly was one of the worst questions Harry could've ever received. Why couldn't he have gotten Louis’ question? Or even Zayn's? Those were so much easier! Was this interview cursed or something, or was it just his awful luck? Whatever it was, Harry hated it.

“Um,” he stammered again, and that same voice appeared in his head once more. “Well, if I see a group of fans fighting or summat, I might just playfully tell them to stop in my Dom voice, but I usually refrain from using it. Being a Dom comes in handy with protecting myself from crazy fans and paps, but other than that, I really don't need to be super dominant in public,” he finished, glancing around anxiously.

Ellen smiled sincerely. “What a lovely answer,” she praised, and Harry grinned back. Sure, it wasn't praise from Louis, but it still made him feel appreciated. And being appreciated felt nice.

While Ellen moved on to the other boys and asked them similar questions, Harry shifted in his spot. The attention wasn't being focused solely on him right now, but he still felt like it was. The audience members were all looking at him, and he swore he noticed Louis stealing glances at him. Had his answer really been that obvious? Had he unintentionally given himself away already?

Tears wanted to gather behind his eyes, but he blinked them away before they could. Dominants didn't cry, he reminded himself. Dominants were tough, confident, and strong. Not weak like he was, he told himself.

It was time for the last question before Harry could even register what was happening, and it was an interesting one.

“If one of you lads were to suddenly become a sub, how would that change the band and your relationships with one another?” she asked none of them in particular, and Harry froze. How had this question come up? Was Ellen a mind reader?

Harry shifted in his seat uncomfortably for the millionth time during the interview, and he avoided Ellen’s gaze. Anything to not have to answer that question.

Naturally, Louis answered the question first, seeming very dominant as he did so. “I don't think it would change any of our relationships,” he began. “We’re much too close for that to happen. It could change management and the public’s views of us, but none of us would ever discriminate against each other in such a way. Although, I doubt this would ever happen,” he added good-heartedly, and the audience, along with Ellen, chuckled.

Harry squirmed uneasily. Was what Louis said really true? If he were to reveal his true identity, would Louis and the other lads still be his best friends? The thought of losing any of the lads made him tear up once more, and so he forced himself not to dwell on it. He'd probably never get the opportunity to show who he really is, anyway.

“That's just wonderful. The close friendships you lot have developed are amazing!” Ellen exclaimed, then turned towards the audience. “One Direction everyone!”

The audience clapped and cheered, and they all exited the stage with their same smiles like they always did.

“Great interview, lads,” Niall grinned, ever so happy as they prepared to leave. “I’ve always loved Ellen.”

“She does ask the most creative questions,” Liam agreed with a laugh.

“I say we go to Nando’s to celebrate!” the blond Dom hollered excitedly.

Zayn laughed. “Ni, we had lunch two hours ago!”

“I’m gonna use the loo,” Harry announced.

“Great,” Louis jumped in. “Same for me.”

Harry’s heart sank and leapt at the same time, not sure whether to be happy or worried. He was excited like a schoolgirl would be if her crush spoke to her for the first time, but he was also worried that he would fuck up and act like a complete fool, especially since he was still slightly shaken up from the question he had been asked and the last question.

He just smiled, and his heart fluttered when Louis grinned back. He wanted to squeal, but he just cleared his throat and tried to act as confident as possible as they headed to the loo.

He and Louis had small talk as they finished up, Harry giggling when Louis flicked some water at him from the sink where he had been washing his hands.

“Aww, you’re adorable,” Louis cooed with a playful grin. “Look at those dimples!”

Harry grinned even harder — what else would he do? Louis fucking Tomlinson had just called his cute! _Calm down, Harry_ , a voice scolded. _He’s your bandmate!_

 _Doesn’t matter,_ he thought cheekily, but left it at that.

The car ride wasn’t too crazy, with Niall and Zayn in the back of the car playing a game on their phones. Liam had fallen asleep quickly, exhausted, and his snores filled the car. He and Louis were seated next to each other, and Harry couldn’t help but thank the fates for being so generous today.

They had decided to get take out for Nando’s, all agreeing that eating at the hotel in private would be much more relaxing than having paps scream at them and constantly getting pictures taken of them.

“I’m glad that the rest of the day is free,” Liam commented as he ate. “I’m more than willing to just laze around with you lads.”

“The feeling’s mutual,” Niall answered with a grin as he ate vigorously.

“Maybe I should call Perrie later tonight,” Zayn commented thoughtfully, then his face contorted into one of mischief. “I’m tempted to greet her with my Dom voice. You have no idea how much she would squeal if I did that; she’s adorable.”

The other boys laughed.

“Dom voices only make the sub feel good if it’s not being used while they’re in trouble,” Louis chuckled.

Harry agreed immediately. He would definitely _not_ want to have a Dom scolding him in their Dom voice … He looked up, surprised when he saw the lads staring at him. “What?” he said, beginning to worry.

Niall looked at him oddly. “You just said that you wouldn’t—”

“Oh, gosh,” Harry groaned. “My bad. Didn’t mean to say that out loud. And don’t get the wrong idea; I was thinking that for only if I was a sub!” He laughed, and desperately prayed that the others would buy it.

Thankfully, they seemed to, because they didn’t speak of that matter anymore. They just continued to eat their food and laugh about mindless things, and Harry joined them.

Except, he did notice Louis eyeing him out of his peripheral vision, and he turned towards him and raised a questioning brow. “What is it?” he asked, and by then, all attention was on them.

“It isn't polite to talk with your mouth full, Haz. You know that. Remember to use your manners, please,” Louis scolded, using his Dom voice and shaking his head.

Harry's eyes widened, and he quickly placed his chicken back on his plate and finished chewing before he spoke. “Sorry,” he whispered, looking down at his lap and fiddling with his fingers. “I won't do it again,” he promised.

The sub risked a glance up and was surprised to find all of his band mates staring at him, with mixtures of amusement and confusion written on their faces.

Louis spoke up first. “I was kidding, Haz. You knew I was joking, right?” he asked with a laugh, elbowing Harry's shoulder playfully.

Harry subconsciously grabbed his shoulder, wincing a bit at the pain. He knew Louis hadn't intended to hurt him, but Doms were always stronger than subs — it was just how they were built. “Oh, yeah,” he chuckled nervously. “Of course I knew that.”

“You sure?” Liam asked with a smirk. “You seemed pretty affected there.”

“Yeah, I'm fine,” Harry insisted, taking a bite of his food. “Was just a little shocked, is all.”

Niall chuckled. “Whatever you say, mate.”

“Hey, wouldn't it be funny if you were actually a sub?” Zayn asked with a laugh. “You totally seemed like a sub just then. You obeyed Louis right away, with no questions asked,” he said, and Harry nearly choked from his nerves.

“Guys!” he whined. “‘M not a sub. I'm a Dom.” He huffed, growing a bit annoyed. Why did they think they had the right to accuse him of lying? He _was_ , but that didn't mean he was required to confess right then and there!

“Haz,” Louis murmured quietly, sensing Harry's growing distress, “it's alright. They were just making fun, yeah?”

Harry nodded grumpily. “Yeah,” he grumbled, shoving another bite of chicken into his mouth. “I'm done eating,” he announced, picking up his trash and throwing it away.

“You're still gonna stay and hangout, right?” Zayn asked hesitantly. “We weren't trying to make you mad, mate. Your reaction was actually kind of cute,” he encouraged.

The sub in Harry had to force himself to refrain from blushing and crossing his hands behind his back. Thankfully, he was able to do so successfully without thinking about it too much. After all, he did have years of practice with hiding his true identity.

“Yeah, I'll stay,” he agreed with a sigh, plopping back on the couch. He jumped a bit when his thigh touched Louis’, and he couldn't help but rub it a little to soothe the tingle their contact caused.

“How does a movie sound?” Niall suggested with a grin when everyone finished eating. “Any requests?”

“Ooooh! How about that new documentary?” Liam suggested. “I’ve heard a lot of great things about it; apparently it gives all the right facts.”

“What’s it called again?” Niall asked.

“Kink, I think,” Liam responded. “Kind of hilarious, really, a fan mentioned it to me.” He laughed.

The documentary started soon, and Harry may or may not have pressed closer to Louis when it began. Cuddling next to the Dom brought him comfort. He watched as the guy, who was in some sort of a bathrobe, was standing there with a slightly quirked grin as two ladies talked about their scene that they would film.

“You can tease him, do whatever you want,” the lady was saying.

Harry blushed when he realized that the sub was naked, no trace of embarrassment on his face. If it were him, his face would have been cherry red! “What?” he blurted out when the lady signaled for the sub to sit down and proceeded to show how to stomp on a cock in a way without actually harming him.

The four other lads laughed at Harry’s astonishment, looking greatly amused at Harry’s horrified expression. “Wouldn’t that hurt?” Harry couldn’t help but splutter in astonishment.

“Hazza, did you not go to Dom school, or summat?” Louis said, throwing his head back as he laughed.

“Yeah, why are you so surprised?” Zayn chuckled. “We’ve all learned this before. They do make sure that we can only graduate if we know how to handle all, if not most, kinks safely.”

Harry blushed. “I, uh, forgot …?” His voice trailed off awkwardly, so he just quickly turned his attention back to the screen. He could feel a pair of eyes — or more specifically, a _blue_ pair of eyes — burning into his head, but he brushed it off.

Truth be told, he had never really gone to Dom school, because well, he _wasn’t_ a Dom. At sub school, they only taught them the basics of each kink, what was right and wrong, how to ensure that your Dom was taking care of you properly, and many other important things. Being a Dom was much more difficult, really, because they had to know how to take control of bad situations as well as know how to safely meddle with kinks.

“It's not good to forget things like this, Haz,” Niall said teasingly, but Harry could tell he really did mean what he said. “You have to know this for being a Dom. Maybe you should pay closer attention to the documentary.”

Harry frowned, slightly offended by the blond Dom’s words. He was right, however. If Harry were truly a Dom, it would be ridiculous if he had forgotten this information. Why had he let his comment slip? Surely the lads didn't still believe he was a Dom now! He needed to cover it up!

“Oh, yeah,” Harry said with a wave of his hand. “This rings a bell now. I think I was falling asleep when we learned this in class.”

The others all gave him a weird look, and he shrank back. He really just needed to keep his mouth shut, didn't he? He just kept making himself sound even worse! No responsible Dominant would ever dare fall asleep during class in Dom school!

He turned his attention back to the documentary and hoped the others did too. The woman was still stepping on the sub’s cock, and Harry tried not to wince. He still didn't really see how that didn't hurt! He knew from experience how much it hurt when he accidentally hit his privates, and it definitely was _not_ something he enjoyed.

“Does that hurt?” the Domme asked carefully, experimentally stepping on her sub’s cock still.

“No,” the sub said seriously. “It doesn't hurt.”

Louis laughed. “Amazing, innit? The things Doms can do to their subs. It's so beautiful,” he commented, eyes twinkling as he watched the pair in awe.

“Definitely,” Zayn agreed, and the other Doms nodded. So Harry was forced to nod along, because he couldn't risk messing up again.

The Domme continued in her skilled stepping for a couple more minutes, with the sub staying perfectly calm under her. Harry was astounded by the boys braveness; it would definitely take a lot of trust to allow a Dom to do such an act.

Suddenly, the Domme stopped stepping on the boy’s cock and instead reached a hand out to slap it. The cock jerked back from the force, and the sub noticeably winced and let out an ‘ow.’

“Damn,” Louis muttered under his breath, and the other Doms had similar reactions. “That is something else.”

“Yikes,” Harry said and put a shocked hand over his mouth. “That looks scary.”

He subconsciously moved closer to Louis for comfort, not realizing that he was gripping the man’s thigh tightly.

“Did that hurt?” the Domme asked with a smirk, standing above the sub.

The sub nodded, then grinned bashfully. “Yes,” he said, and the woman laughed in amusement at the boy’s cuteness.

There was another scene where they were playing around with water. The Dom held the sub firmly and dunked his head into the water, making him thrash and splutter.

Harry stiffened, nervous for the sub, and he couldn’t help but lower his eyes.

“Why are you panicking so much, Haz?” Niall asked with a curious look. “Did you also forget how playing in water works?”

“Uh, no, I remember,” Harry stammered, forcing himself to look back at the screen. “It’s just never really been one of my favourite kinks, so it makes me wince a little.”

The Doms bought it again, although they did shrug a little.

The documentary ended, and Harry really did want to stop watching. It wasn’t that he found it boring or anything; it was just that he didn’t know how things worked as well as the other lads did — they were, after all, real Doms, and had received the appropriate training they needed. Harry, on the other hand, had not.

Contrary to what he had wished for, another film was turned on. Thankfully, this one was shorter than Kink. This one focused more on the disciplinary aspects of BDSM rather than the sexual aspects.

The movie opened with a Dom and his sub, both sitting on a bed next to each other. While the Dom was still fully dressed, the sub was completely naked, which made Harry squirm. He looked at the others to see if they were shocked at all by the circumstances of the scene, yet they all had stoic expressions.

“You know better than to inflict pain on your Dom during a blowjob,” the Dom was scolding the sub.

The sub’s gaze was directed downward, and he had tears in his eyes. He reached a hand up to wipe under his nose as he sniffled, and he fiddled with his fingers. “‘M sorry, Sir,” he apologized. “I really am.”

Harry nuzzled closer into Louis, trying not to whimper. The Dom was using his full on Dom voice, and it was clearly having a great effect on both the sub in the film and him. He couldn't help it — whenever a Dom used their specific voice around him, he really made his submissive instincts show themselves. It was just how being a sub was.

“You scared, Haz?” Liam chuckled teasingly, noticing how close he was to Louis.

Harry frowned and scooted a little further away. “Oh, no,” he laughed shakily. “Was just comfortable.”

The Doms eyed him a bit weirdly before they returned their attention back to the film.

“I know you're sorry,” the Dom began, tilting the sub's chin up with his fingers and making eye contact with him, “but you need to be punished. What you did was not acceptable, and it never will be. We don't bite our Dom’s dick, do we?”

The Doms chuckled. “What a brat,” Louis commented, taking a sip of his beer. “I’d definitely punish my sub if they did such a thing.”

Harry took in a deep breath, trying not to let his instincts become so obvious. He couldn't help but imagine Louis punishing him … lecturing him for misbehaving … cuddling him and giving him aftercare afterwards …

“Haz? Are you watching, mate?” Niall asked, waving a hand in front of Harry's face.

Harry blinked. “Oh, yeah. Just zoned out a bit,” he laughed anxiously, wiping a hand across his sweaty forehead.

Niall gave him a weird look, but otherwise brushed his odd comment off.

The sub shook his head. “No, Sir,” he whispered, swallowing nervously.

“Correct. Can you tell me why you did so, then?” The Dom raised an eyebrow.

“I–I thought you liked it,” the sub confessed. “I really thought you would like that. I know you have a pain kink, so I thought—”

“That's such a dumb excuse,” Zayn snickered. “If Perrie ever did such a thing, she would be in for it.”

Harry gulped, wiggling around in his seat beside Louis. He knew Zayn was a strict Dom, but the man’s words frightened him slightly. Being punished did not sound fun at all, though he knew it would be well-deserved if he bit his Dom’s dick.

“What would you do if your sub was that disrespectful, Hazza?” Louis asked, as if trying to relax Harry.

“Uh,” Harry stammered. “Oh, I dunno. Probably just give out a punishment.”

“Isn’t that obvious?” Liam asked with a frown.

“I mean, it _is_ your role,” Niall pointed out.

Harry wanted to cry, but he just shrugged and directed his gaze back to the film. His eyes widened dramatically when he saw the Dom unbuckling his belt and tugging down his pants and boxers. He threw the belt to the side while he pulled off his clothes fully, but then picked it up again.

“That is not a reason to bite my dick,” the Dom scolded the sub. “If you wanted to try something new, you should have _asked_ me first. You need to check with me before you initiate something we've never tried before, do you understand?”

The Dom’s lecture made Harry squirm in his seat, and he looked to Louis to see his reaction. The Dom had a blank look on his face, and he seemed to be watching intently. At least he hadn't noticed his fidgeting.

“Yes, Sir. I'm sorry,” the sub tried again, but the Dom simply shook his head.

“Colour?” he asked, wrapping the belt around his waist and holding the buckle out in front of him, waiting for a response.

The sub swallowed. “Green.”

“What is he gonna do?” Harry asked nervously.

Zayn frowned. “It’s obvious, Hazza, he’s gonna punish him.”

“Oh, right.” Harry shook his head. “Sorry. I’m feeling a bit peaky.”

“Are you okay?” Louis asked, sounding genuinely concerned. “Do you want to go lay down? I’ll come with you, if you want.”

Harry’s heart jumped at the offer, but he didn’t want to risk his shirt riding up and the Dom seeing the sub mark on his back. “No, it’s okay,” he assured. “I’m probably just tired. No biggie.” He turned his eyes back to the screen.

“You’re going to learn your lesson,” the Dom was growling, yanking the sub to his knees.

Harry winced when the sub’s knees hit the ground. Didn’t that hurt? The Dom gripped the sub’s hair, and tugged sharply. Harry almost gasped when the Dom yanked even harder, and the sub’s face ended up in the Dom’s clothed cock.

“Do you feel that?” the Dom growled.

The sub nodded meekly. “Yes, Sir,” he whispered.

“You’re gonna be sucking that soon. And you’re not going to stop until I say so. And,” the Dom leaned down, lowering his voice and eyes flashing, “if you bite me one more fucking time, you’re gonna get it.”

Harry swore that his heart did a somersault at the Dom’s tone of voice. His heart lurched for the sub; if it were him, he would be hyperventilating! Although, he doubted he would ever really bite his Dom’s dick.

“Colour?”

“Green, Sir.”

“Good. Tell me how you safeword when you can’t talk,” the Dom demanded.

“One finger for green, two for yellow, and three for red, Sir,” the sub responded. There was a pause, and when the Dom didn’t say anything, Harry found himself wondering what exactly was supposed to happen. The sub seemed to know, however, for he said clearly, “Sir, please, may I receive my punishment now?”

“You may.” The Dom didn’t move, simply holding the belt in his hands. Harry wondered if he was going to spank the sub with it.

The sub reached out with his hands to unzip the Dom’s jeans, but the Dom growled and said, “Don’t use your hands. Only your mouth.”

“Is that even possible?” Harry wondered out loud. He gulped when he got another strange look from the other lads. Gosh, he didn’t know what was wrong with him today! He had never made himself this obvious before!

“Of course it is, Haz,” Liam said with a laugh. “You sure you don’t have to go to Dom school again? How’d you even graduate? You don’t even know anything!”

Harry scowled and opened his mouth to retort, when Louis said, “Oh, let it go, lads. He said himself that he wasn’t feeling so good!”

Harry shot the blue-eyed Dom a grateful look, and the Dom smiled back. “Just relax, Hazza, and watch the movie,” Louis said. “Ask whatever questions you want.”

“Thanks,” Harry mumbled, slightly ashamed even though he knew that he shouldn’t be, and forced himself to direct his gaze back to the screen. He didn’t really enjoy this film; he hated witnessing punishments, whether they were planned out or not.

The sub used his teeth to unzip the Dom and nuzzled the Dom’s cock, which Harry found strangely hot.

“Get sucking, then,” the Dom said with a raised eyebrow.

“Yes, Sir.” The sub put his arms behind him, as if reminding himself that he wasn’t allowed to use his hands, and took the tip of the Dom’s cock into his mouth, suckling on it.

The Dom placed a hand on the sub’s hair and firmly gripped it, fisting his hand in it and pulling yet again. “Did I order you to tease me? No, I didn’t. Get sucking.”

The sub mumbled incoherently and began to get to work, taking half of the cock first, and then the full length of it.

Zayn whistled from where he was watching. “Now, that, is a well–trained throat,” he commented.

The Dom looped the belt, and Harry seriously thought that the Dom was going to spank the sub with it, but he simply put it behind his own waist, the sub still sucking hard, cheeks hollowing.

“This film never gets old,” Niall commented, eyes fixated on the screen. “One of my favourites. It’s really creative.”

Harry raised an eyebrow. “Why?” he asked, although he wasn’t sure if he wanted to know.

“Oh, you’ll see.” The blond Dom smirked.

Harry gasped when he saw the Dom wrap the belt around the sub’s head, then buckle it. Now the sub couldn’t pull his mouth off from the Dom’s cock. _That’s so smart, but so evil_ , Harry mused.

The Dom began to thrust, letting out small groans of satisfaction. The sub whined but when he was asked his colour, he held up a single finger, relieving both Harry and seemingly the Dom as well.

Harry made a face when the sub began to drool, although he knew that he wasn’t able to help it — he could barely pull back, after all. Although, he did feel bad for the sub. _Bite his dick off_ , he couldn’t help but urge, smirking to himself a little.

“Ungh, yeah,” the Dom groaned, thrusting even harder at a fast pace, the sub letting out small. involuntary grunts and moans along with it.

“Why’s he doing this, though?” Harry couldn’t help but whisper, slightly horrified when the Dom made the sub deepthroat.

“Because it shows who’s in charge,” Liam smirked. “Why? Is the little itty bitty Hazza scared?” he mocked, then laughed.

Harry glared.

Louis rolled his eyes. “Oh, lay off, Li!” He murmured into Harry’s ear, “The sub deserves this. It’s his punishment. You don’t need to worry for him, Harry, the Dom knows how far he can take the sub. Besides, it’s the Dom’s job to not only make sure that the sub is being properly disciplined and learning his lesson, but also to push his boundaries — how else would the sub learn and grow? Don’t worry, it would be wrong if the Dom overstepped the sub’s limits, but he’s not.”

“How do you know?” Harry whispered uncertainly.

“He would have safeworded by now. See, the Dom’s repeatedly asking him his colour, and the sub is always ‘green.’ He’s fine.”

“Oh.” Harry stared at the screen when the sub did indeed hold up one finger. He couldn’t help but scoot a little closer than he already was to Louis. “You’re very smart,” he said shyly, blushing and cursing himself for it.

Louis smiled. “Why, thank you,” he teased with a small laugh. “I’m more than willing to help. In fact, why don’t I teach you some things that you’ve forgotten? You’d definitely become an even better Dom! It’ll be fun!” he exclaimed, sounding excited.

Harry watched as the Dom in the film finally unbuckled the belt and allowed the sub to pull back.

“Have you learned your lesson?” the Dom was saying.

Harry stared, biting his lip uncertainly. He wanted to refuse, but at the same time, he really did want Louis’ help. If Louis taught him some things, then he would become even better at pretending to be a Dom! Also, it would give him a chance to be closer to Louis — he _did_ have a crush on him, after all. Would it seem suspicious if he agreed? Would he look like a horrible Dom?

He licked his dry lips, then said, “Sure, why not?”

Louis beamed. “Great!” he said happily.

“Good idea, Lou,” Liam said sarcastically. “He sure does need some lessons.”

Louis simply rolled his eyes at the other Dom. “Lay off him, Li,” he said with an impatient sigh. “Don't be rude.”

Harry watched as Liam rolled his own eyes in silent retaliation to Louis’ comment, and he fidgeted in his seat.

All he could hope was that he wouldn’t screw up even further by agreeing to Louis’ idea.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNINGS FOR THE CHAPTER: Mentions of mouthwashing, spanking, and isolation (punishment — not Harry!), Doms exerting their authority, kneeling. There _may _be possible stereotypical thoughts/mentions that subs are viewed as weaker than Doms.__
> 
> __Enjoy!_ _

Sharing a hotel room with the other lads always proved to be stressful for Harry. He felt like he had to watch every move he made even more than usual. 

When he wanted to take a shower, he had to ensure he brought his clothes and a towel with him into the bathroom, or else he would be in trouble. 

The same went for when he changed — it wasn't odd for them to strip in front of each other and change their clothes, but Harry never wanted to do so, and that was for a valid reason. He couldn’t help but notice the curious looks the others gave him, but he had to act like he didn't. 

There was so much to risk when he stayed in close quarters with them, and it made Harry anxious. 

Of course, with his luck, he found himself in one of those predicaments right now. 

It was half past midnight, and they had all finished watching a movie (a more normal one this time, thank god). Because they'd had tons of interviews and promo today, they were all knackered. The others had just begun to take off their clothes and toss them aside, while Harry watched nervously. He really didn't want to have to face this situation yet again. 

“Haz, aren't you tired? We did so much today,” Louis asked, taking off his shirt. 

Harry did his best not to blatantly stare at Louis’ body, but it proved to be difficult. He was just so built, with a few chest hairs scattered across his ribs, and his  _ ‘it is what it is’  _ tattoo outlining his collarbones beautifully. 

“Haz?” Louis repeated, somewhat concerned. 

Harry jumped, hurrying to shift his eyes from Louis’ chest and to his eyes. “Oh, yeah,” he laughed nervously, getting off the bed. “I am tired. I'll just get ready for bed in the bathroom.”

He hated being forced to act so strange by changing in the bathroom, like he was insecure about his body or something, because he wasn't! He knew the lads thought it was weird, but he couldn't risk them seeing his mark — it would ruin everything for him. 

“Alright,” Louis said hesitantly, then bit his lip. “Harry, you know you don't need to be self conscious about your body, yeah? You are very beautiful. You should know that.” 

Harry wanted to melt and drop to his knees and kiss Louis’ feet for giving him such a sweet compliment as this, but he couldn't. So he simply smiled and nodded. “I know. I'm not insecure, don't worry, Lou. Thank you, though,” he couldn't help but blush the slightest bit, however, as he thanked Louis. 

The Dom smiled and went back to changing into his pyjamas, giving Harry the cue to head into the bathroom. He sighed and stripped off his clothes, and then did his ritual of eyeing himself in the mirror. His sub mark was tingling more than ever now from Louis’ kind words, and he rubbed it to soothe it.  _ Calm down,  _ he scolded himself, throwing on a t-shirt.  _ You're a Dominant. Act like one.  _

He took a deep breath, trying to regain his composure, before he exited the bathroom.  _ You're a Dominant. Act like one,  _ he repeated like a mantra in his head. He needed to act upon those words, after all. 

“Feeling comfy, Hazza?” Zayn teased playfully, elbowing his side. “You always wear this shirt,” he commented with a chuckle, wrapping a strong arm around his waist, effectively locking him against his chest. 

Harry froze, suddenly a little frightened. He knew Zayn was only playing, but the Dom’s strength was sure to overpower his, and he didn't know if he could do much to defend himself if the man tried to pull up his shirt. “Zayn,” he said in a warning tone. “I'm not in the mood. Can I please just go to bed? I don't want to mess around,” he begged, sounding very submissive. He couldn't control his instincts — when subs were feeling controlled, their instincts showed themselves more. 

“I'm just wondering why you always wear this shirt,” Zayn mused, tugging on the end of the fabric. “What's so special about it? Is it your lucky shirt, or—” 

The sub really began to struggle then, alarmed at the feeling of tugging on his shirt. He couldn't let Zayn, or anyone, see his mark. “Zayn, quit it!” he exclaimed, wiggling around in the Dom’s arms. “It's not funny! I just want to sleep!” he nearly shouted, and the Dom finally released him. 

“Woah, Hazza, I'm sorry. I was just messing around,” he apologized, actually seeming sorry. “I'm so sorry.” 

“It's fine,” Harry sighed, out of breath. He subconsciously yanked the back of his shirt down protectively, and he tried not to look at the other lads eyeing him weirdly. “I just want to sleep. Good night.” 

He crawled into bed and pretended he didn't hear the Doms discussing his outburst. 

They would never find out anyway. 

_____

Harry had forgotten about it, really. Maybe it was because he was scared of what would happen. Who knew? But when Louis had come up to him and asked, he had frozen. 

“Hey, Hazza, wanna start that training thing now?” Louis wiggled his eyebrows. “I promise I'll make it fun.”

Harry forced himself to smile, although whenever he was with Louis, it was easy to do. “Yeah, definitely,” he said as confidently as possible. “Can't wait. Now?”

Louis shrugged. “Why not? We have a day off today anyway; might as well spend it with each other.” He grinned. 

Harry desperately hoped that he wasn't blushing, because that would definitely be embarrassing and unexplainable — Doms weren't supposed to have a crush on other Doms, unless they were in a polygamous relationship. The only problem was, he wasn't a Dom. 

Although he was nervous, he didn't want to disappoint, so he followed Louis into the blue-eyed lad’s hotel room, making sure that he grabbed the key for his own room so that he wouldn't get locked out — that would not end well. 

He looked around nervously once he was inside, taking notice of how messy Louis was. His clothes were scattered about the bedroom floor, open beer and soda cans were all over the counter, and the TV was blaring the latest footie match. “Um,” he stammered, shuffling on his feet. “Where should we go?” he asked dumbly. 

Louis chuckled, clapping a hand on his shoulder. “Don't be so nervous, Haz,” he said, leading them into the kitchen. “Do you want anything to drink first?” He held up a beer can. 

Oh no. 

Being a submissive, Harry had never really been one to enjoy beer, or any type of alcohol, really. The toxic drink affected subs much more crucially than it did Doms, and it only took one or two drinks for a sub to be completely wasted. He couldn't risk having a can of beer right now — or even a few sips — because who knew how it would affect his behaviour? 

But he also didn't want to risk looking suspicious. He had to make a spontaneous decision, which was something he hated doing as a submissive. “No thanks, Lou. I'm good right now,” he denied politely, desperately hoping his reply didn't come off as odd. Most Doms would gladly accept the offer, but Louis seemed to understand. 

“That's alright. I'm not gonna have anything right now either. Just thought I should offer,” he said with a grin. “How about we head into the living room?” he suggested. 

The Dom walked him through his room and to the living room with his hand on the small of his back. Like always, his sub mark tingled, and he inwardly cursed himself for having those submissive instincts — especially around Louis. He couldn't let the Dom notice! 

“I think it'd be best if we started with kneeling. You know the proper way for a submissive to kneel, yeah?” Louis asked with a raised eyebrow. 

Of course he did — he'd learned multiple kneeling positions in sub school. But this was slightly different; in this case, he wouldn't be the one kneeling like usual. “Oh, yeah,” Harry said casually. “I remember this.” 

“Great,” Louis said happily. “I'll just show you just to refresh your brain. And then we'll talk about what kneeling should mean and signify.”

Oh my god. Was Louis Tomlinson, a Dom (and a strict one at that), actually going to kneel before him, a sub? How was this happening? 

Before Harry had anymore time to process this wonderfully shocking information, Louis had dropped to his knees in front of him. He placed his hands palm up on his spread thighs, and his head was bowed. 

The position they were both in felt highly strange. Here Harry was, a sub, standing above a kneeling Dom. The boy disliked the transfer of power between them; he felt much too above the blue-eyed Dom below him, and it made his knees quiver. It took all the energy he had to resist from sinking to his knees at this very moment. 

“This is just the generic kneeling position,” Louis was saying. “This position is simply for the sub to show their submission to you, as well their respect for you. Make sense?” 

“Yeah.” Harry swallowed nervously. His legs twitched, and he willed himself not to give into his instincts. 

Louis moved his arms behind his back and clasped his hands together. “This position is used for punishments. The clasping of the hands shows the submissive knows they did something wrong and they're apologetic, while the open palms in the other position shows the sub means no harm to the Dominant.”

Harry took a deep breath. Louis looked so beautiful on his knees, but it felt so incredibly wrong. He should be the one kneeling right now, not Louis! Louis should be standing above him and running his fingers through his hair, praising him … 

“Alright,” Louis announced, breaking Harry from his thoughts, “let's move on to using your Dom voice. Whenever you use your Dom voice on your sub, it will provide an immediate effect. If you're both in a good, playful mood, the submissive will exhibit a positive response to your voice. However, if you're scolding the sub or aren’t happy with them, they will not like the Dom voice. It will make them feel guilty and want to submit to you straight away. Understand?”

Harry’s hands twitched. He had to strain himself in order to not immediately cross his arms behind his back submissively. Louis wasn't using his Dom voice on him, but he did seem very Dom-like, which was to be expected. “Yep, makes sense,” he nodded, inwardly cringing at how disrespectful he sounded. 

“Good,” Louis said happily. “Wanna try it?” 

_ Shit.  _

There was absolutely no way he could make himself speak in a Dom voice! It wasn't in his instincts as a submissive! For a sub, speaking in a particularly harsh or scolding tone was extremely difficult. It could be done, but it would require a great deal of effort on his part. 

Why hadn't he thought of this when Louis initially asked him about this? He had been so caught up in his crush on Louis that he hadn't thought rationally, and now, he was going to pay for his mistakes. 

He just hoped the Dom didn't uncover his secret in the meantime. 

“Um, I think I want to hear yours before I try mine … just so I can get a feel for it,” he said nervously. Anything to stall time — he had to come up with a plan for how he was going to pull off a Dom voice, for god’s sake! 

Luckily, Louis didn't give him any odd looks. “Yeah, of course,” he agreed easily. “Let’s say that the sub is being continuously disrespectful — overly cheeky.”

He cleared his throat, and Harry braced himself. He had to maintain a straight face, and make sure that nothing about him seemed submissive … he would  _ not  _ give himself away this easily.

Louis gave him a reassuring smile, then spoke. His voice was filled with a different tone now, almost a rumbling timbre, as all Dom voices were. “Behave. Kneel.  _ Now _ .”

The orders were short and stern. It was probably why it had affected Harry so much. His knees quivered from trying to resist the orders.  _ Deep breaths,  _ he told himself.  _ In, out … in, out … _

And he fell straight to his knees, wincing at the impact.

He inhaled sharply, not sure of what to do. There was a pause of silence, Harry biting his lip and trying to come up with a believable excuse, and Louis seemingly confused.

“Hazza?” he said uncertainly. “Are you okay?”

Harry paused, then forced himself to grin and look up at Louis, whose blue eyes were shimmering with concern that warmed his heart. “Aren’t I a good actor?” he said, trying to laugh it off. He got up, licking dry lips nervously. “I fooled you,” he laughed.

Louis broke into a grin and shook his head. “I can’t believe I fell for that!” he groaned, facepalming himself. 

Harry chuckled, but winced at what Louis said next. “Your turn, now. Let’s see if you can make  _ me  _ fall to my knees,” he joked.

“Uh, I dunno,” Harry said with a grin, scrambling for an excuse. “I’m not really in the mood — I’ve never been as good as you when controlling when to use it.”

“Oh.” Louis frowned. “Well, I guess it’s fine. Can’t really teach you  _ how  _ to use it anyway; it’s just instinct that us Doms are born with.”

_ Yeah, an instinct that I wasn’t born with _ , Harry thought wryly.

“Yeah.” Harry forced yet another smile. “Um, thanks. For teaching me. It's late, should probably sleep,” he said, avoiding eye contact and scratching the back of his head. 

“Oh, alright,” Louis said, a hint of uncertainty behind his tone. 

_ Please tell me he believed me. Please.  _

“Night, Lou,” he murmured, closing the Dom’s room door behind him. 

What was he to do now? 

_____

Louis bit his lip, thinking about his interaction with Harry. The lad had acted plain weird, with his kneeling, fidgeting, and refusing to use his Dom voice. 

Then again, this hadn't been the first time he'd acted strange. He'd always been a reserved person, doing everything he could to avoid certain situations that clearly caused anxiety for him. The boy thought none of the lads noticed this little quirk of his, but of course, Louis had. 

He noticed everything Harry did. But he had let his peculiar actions go too far — they were far from normal. And it was obvious the boy needed some help. 

“Lads,” Louis whisper-yelled, entering Niall’s room, where he knew Liam and Zayn were as well. “I gotta tell you something.” 

All attention was immediately turned on him. 

Niall muted the TV. “What is it, Tommo?” 

“Finally found a sub?” Zayn joked good-naturedly. 

Louis rolled his eyes. “No, Zee,” he said exasperatedly. “Not exactly. But I  _ did  _ find a sub — well, I think. Just not my  _ own _ sub.” 

“What?” Liam asked, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion. 

The blue-eyed Dom’s hands twitched nervously. Would it be bad of him to share his thoughts with the lads? It wasn't exactly like they were gossiping — they were just sharing their genuine concern for their friend and band mate, that's all! But what if his assumptions weren't true? Would Harry find out and feel insulted? What would—

“I think Harry is a sub,” he finally blurted out, ignoring his thoughts. They were ridiculous, anyway. He wasn't doing anything wrong. 

Zayn shuffled in his seat. “And what makes you think that?” 

“He  _ has  _ been acting weird lately,” Niall muttered to himself, turning off the TV. 

“And he's always hiding his mark … lads, have any of you ever seen Harry's classification mark?” Liam asked curiously, his eyebrows raised. 

Louis rolled his eyes. “No, Liam. He's always hiding it. That's why we don't know if he's actually a Dom or not,” he scoffed. 

Liam held his hands up defensively. “Alright, alright. Just tell us what brought this up.”

“Okay … so you know that he had agreed to let me train him, yeah? So we started that an hour ago.”

“Yeah, he really does need some help,” Niall sniggered. “He didn't know anything.”

Louis ignored the blond-haired Dom, though he did give him a small glare. “He refused to practice his Dom voice, and when I used mine to pretend scold him, he immediately dropped to his knees and kneeled. He obeyed what I said right away, even though I wasn't ordering him around,” he explained. 

“That  _ is  _ a little odd,” Zayn frowned, scratching his head. “I mean, I've never seen him kneel for one of us before, but he does act submissive a lot. Like the other night at dinner, when he stopped talking with his mouth full when you told him to,” the Dom mused. 

“He's definitely a sub,” Niall declared, Liam nodding in agreement. 

“We can't just simply jump to conclusions,” Louis reasoned with a huff. “It's highly possible, but we need to study him a bit more to really make sure. Imagine how humiliating it would be if we accused him of being a sub and he wasn't!”

Liam snickered. “He probably likes to be humiliated anyway,” he scoffed. “He's a proper sub.” 

“Quit it, Liam,” Louis shook his head disapprovingly. “Let's figure this out. What strange things have you lot noticed about his behaviour since we've known him?” 

Zayn frowned. “He's always insisting he's a Dom, like, he incessantly repeats that he is one,” he said, the others nodding in agreement. 

“He never changes in front of us,” Niall pointed out. 

“He gets drunk super quick,” Liam added. 

“He's a sub,” Louis gave in. “Let's test him,” he declared finally, and the Doms began to formulate their plan. 

And it would definitely be interesting to see how Harry would react. 

_____

“That was a long day,” Niall announced, flopping down onto the couch with a giant and noisy yawn. 

The boys had just come back from a long fan-signing event, so they were exhausted, Harry especially. He had barely gotten enough sleep last night, worried about how obvious he was being lately. He was surprised that he hadn’t gotten accused yet!

It had certainly been eventful, especially with one fan asking him and Louis to stand on either side of her, pressing a kiss to her cheeks. It was awkward, but Harry loved to make his fans happy, so he didn’t mind too much. As long as they didn’t snog the shit out of him, he was fine.

“Hey, Hazza, come sit,” Zayn called, plopping down onto the couch and patting the spot next to him. “Don’t stand there like an idiot,” he joked with a laugh.

Harry forced himself to smile, although he was pretty sure that it had turned out to look like a grimace, and he headed over to sit down. However, Zayn unexpectedly grabbed his hips — not harshly — and pulled him onto his own lap. “Comfy?” the Dom asked the curly-haired boy.

Harry frowned, confused, and he lost his composure for a moment. “Uh, yeah,” he stammered. He glanced around, puzzled with what was going on, but none of the other lads seemed to notice or care. They just carried on with what they were doing — Louis and Liam talking and laughing while Niall was scrolling through social media.

“You’re so good for me, sitting still, you know,” Zayn said, voice affectionate. 

Harry’s mind was currently whirring with confusion — what was going on?! Why was Zayn being so weird?! “Um, thank you,” Harry said confusedly, inwardly cringing at his words. Why did he always have to thank people whenever they complimented him? It was such an obvious sub instinct!

“You're welcome,” Zayn murmured softly, reaching a hand up to stroke Harry's hair. 

The sub frowned and grabbed the Dom’s hand, pulling it out of his curls. “What are you doing?” he huffed, beginning to fidget in the man’s lap. 

“Nothing,” Zayn said innocently. “Just want to spend some time with my boy.” 

Harry gaped. Had Zayn gone mad? Why weren't the others saying anything?! This was so weird! “I'm not your boy,” he exclaimed, wiggling off Zayn's lap. “Why are you being so weird?!” 

“Hey,” Zayn said in a scolding tone, “it's not polite to call others weird.” 

Harry's knees twitched, as they always did when a Dom voice was used on him. “Sorry,” he whispered submissively, unable to fight his instincts. At least he hadn't dropped to his knees this time, though. 

By then, the others had finally turned their attention toward the scene. 

“He's so polite for apologizing,” Louis commented to Zayn, making Harry want to flush and giggle. 

_ Wait.  _

What was up with this strange behaviour, though? He couldn't let his massive crush on Louis make him forget the odd situation at hand! He had to hold himself together!

“I know,” Zayn agreed, smiling proudly at Harry. “He's such a sweet boy.” 

“He is, indeed,” Louis nodded, his eyes crinkling in the corners. 

_ What the hell?  _

“Stopppp,” Harry finally whined. “Why are you guys being so weird? Quit it!”

As much as the submissive loved receiving praise from Louis, or any Dom, really, he couldn't help but think this situation was a little odd. The boys never praised him for doing nothing — they weren't his Doms! It  _ definitely  _ wasn't normal for them to be doing this! 

“We’re not being weird,” Niall said with a raised eyebrow. 

“Yeah, we’re not. We're just acknowledging how good of a boy you are,” Liam stated with a sly grin. 

Harry huffed, wanting to stomp his foot and pout, but that would seem much too childish and probably wouldn't help his situation at all. “Yeah, you are, and that's super weird!” he settled with. 

“I thought you liked being praised,” Louis accused with a quirked brow. 

What? How in the world did Louis know that? “I never said that,” Harry muttered, body beginning to close in on himself now. 

“It’s okay,” Louis soothed, standing from his seat and approaching the now nervous boy. “You don’t have to worry. We just want you to know how much we appreciate you.” 

“Okay …” Harry trailed off uncertainly, biting his lip. What was Louis preparing to do? They were all being so weird and confusing! He didn't know how much longer he could suppress his submissive instincts — it was all hurting his head! 

Louis smiled softly. “C’mere,” he encouraged, pulling the boy in for a hug. The Dom wrapped his left arm around Harry's back tightly, while his right hand rested against the back of the boy’s head. His hand held his curls gently but firmly, and he allowed the sub’s head to nuzzle into his shoulder. “You're being so sweet, so good. Yeah?” 

Harry had to refrain from melting yet again. It was a very good thing he was restrained by Louis’ firm grip in the hug, or else he might have dropped to his knees unintentionally for the hundredth time. “Yeah,” he whispered, letting out a calming breath. “Thank you,” he couldn't help but whisper, and inwardly cursed himself for doing so. 

There was no use in trying to suppress his submissive instincts; they always seemed to show to themselves anyway. 

“C’mon, let's go back to the couch. You can sit nice and good next to me, yeah?” 

“Next to you,” Harry repeated with a nod and a smile. 

He didn't know why, but he allowed the Dom to lead him back to the sitting area, where he sat down pressed into his side. The Dom wrapped an arm behind his back as they sat, and he gave him an encouraging smile, which Harry returned. 

The sub noticed Zayn eyeing Liam weirdly, and he definitely didn't miss the small nod Liam gave the dark-haired Dom in return. 

Why was everyone acting so weird?! 

“Ugh,” Zayn suddenly groaned, causing all attention to focus on him. “You lot wouldn't  _ believe  _ how naughty Perrie was being last night. She was being a right brat.” 

Harry instinctively winced, not keen on the idea of hearing of a sub being punished. He knew it was necessary, but that still didn't mean it was enjoyable. Nobody liked it. 

“She kept mouthing off to me, even when I asked her what was wrong,” Zayn continued with a sigh. “She’s still pouting a little after I punished her.”

Harry flinched a little at the word, and cursed himself when Louis frowned at him and inquired, “You okay, Hazza?”

“Yeah.” Harry waved it off and pretended to be fine, when he was really not. He was frustrated. He knew how obvious he was being. The others probably knew about him already. Then he’d get kicked out of the band, and the other lads would hate him, and so would his mum … maybe even Gemma would. He grew distressed at the thoughts, but the hand on his back — Louis’ hand — calmed him down again.

“I washed her mouth out, and I tanned her bum bright red — she did deserve it, after all,” Zayn sighed. “She argued with me the whole time. I sent her to her room. She’s not allowed to be out of it except for the washroom and meals until she fixes that attitude of hers.” Zayn shook his head and looked straight at Harry. “I hate it when and if you ever have to punish a sub. Don’t you, Harry?”

Harry gulped. “All Doms do,” he said quickly. “No Doms like it.” 

“We know that,” Zayn said slowly, as if he were dense. “But how do  _ you  _ feel about it? Do  _ you _ hate it?”

“Well, yeah,” Harry scoffed nervously. “Of course I do.” 

“Haz,” Liam murmured, catching his attention. 

“Yeah?” Harry gulped, all eyes on him. He couldn't help but shift uncomfortably in his seat. 

“We all know you're a sub,” Niall continued, looking at him seriously. “Please stop trying to act like a Dom. It isn't working anymore.” 

Harry gaped. How had they found out? He knew he had been acting extremely obvious this week, but still! He hadn't been  _ that  _ obvious, had he? They hadn't even seen his mark — there was no way they could possibly believe they were right! 

“I'm a Dom,” the sub repeated firmly. “I'm not a sub, and I haven't been trying to act like one. Stop accusing me of stuff!” 

“Haz—” Louis tried, but Harry cut him off. 

“No! You guys are insane!” he exclaimed, standing up abruptly. “I’d never accuse you of being a sub! So why do you think it's alright to accuse me?” 

His submissive instincts were screaming at him to sink to his knees and be respectful, to just  _ submit  _ to the Doms before him, since they were right, after all. 

But he couldn't allow his instincts to show themselves, especially not now. 

“You think it's okay to just treat me like a sub, just because you assume I am one? How would you guys like it if I—” 

“Quiet,” Louis ordered, and Harry couldn't help it — he'd lost all control. He shut his mouth. 

Harry’s breath hitched in his throat, and he anxiously eyed all the Doms sitting in front of him. He covered his mouth with his hands and let out a quiet cry once he'd realized all that he'd done. How had he let himself be so stupid? He showed his true instincts way too much throughout these past few days, and now he was going to pay for it. After all he’d done and worked for, all the work he'd put into keeping his secret … his true self was revealed against his will. 

“I'm sorry,” Harry cried, turning his head away from the Doms. “I understand if you want to kick me out of the band, I know you won't want a lowly sub singing with you. I don't deserve to be in the same band as you, let alone be  _ friends  _ with you …” he started spewing out his concerns uncontrollably. 

“Haz … you know that's—” 

“Ha!” Harry suddenly shouted, pointing at the Doms’ faces. “I tricked you! Again!” He laughed, though a small sniffle still escaped his lips. 

The Doms all shared confused glances, their eyebrows raised. Harry wasn't serious, was he? 

“Honestly, you guys are  _ so  _ gullible,” the sub continued, plopping his bum back on the couch. “Can't believe you fell for it. I mean, I'm not  _ that  _ good at acting, am I? At least I never thought I was.” He coughed somewhat nervously. 

“Haz … there wasn't anything to fall for,” Zayn said with a sigh. 

“Your emotions just then were real,” Liam added pointedly. “You didn't make that up. You weren't acting.” 

Harry huffed indignantly, trying to act nonchalant. “Yes … I was! Why can't you just acknowledge the fact that I tricked you?” 

“Why can't you just acknowledge the fact that you're a submissive?” Louis muttered, shaking his head. “Tricks like that aren't funny, Haz. We know you didn't fake that. That was all real.” 

“No, it wasn't!” Harry stood up again, slamming his hand down on the coffee table irritably. “I was taking it! I was trying to trick you for making me feel bad, and it worked! Just accept it!” 

“Just accept that you're a sub!” Liam fired back, making Harry glare daggers at him. 

“There's nothing to accept,” he retorted, “except for the fact that I'm a Dominant. I'm going to my room, and I want you all to leave me alone. Good night.” 

It was entirely against his submissive instincts to be so forceful with his band mates, but what other choice did he really have? Out himself? No way — it would be a long while until he allowed that to happen. 

He whimpered after slamming the hotel room door shut, trying to push back the negative thoughts in his mind. 

He didn't know how much longer he could really keep this up. 

_____

“Yeah … you got us there. Good one, Haz,” Niall muttered humourlessly to himself, shaking his head. 

“It wasn't an act,” Zayn repeated, turning the TV back on. “Those were his real, true feelings. It was obvious. Any Dominant can tell that.”

“Exactly,” Louis agreed with a nod. He let out a sigh and leaned back into the couch, suddenly annoyed and saddened by the earlier events. Why did Harry have to be this way? It was terrible, for him and everyone else. 

Liam had been silent, until he discovered something laying on the coffee table. “Lads,” he announced, picking up Harry's phone. “Little Hazzy left his phone here.” He smirked, holding the device up for all to see. 

“You don't mean …” Niall trailed off, watching as the brown-eyed boy nodded mischievously. 

“We’re going to look through it,” he declared slyly, already making move to unlock the device. “Fuck, there's a passcode,” he cursed, annoyed. 

Louis didn't seem fazed. “Give it here. He let me put my fingerprint in it,” he said, taking the phone from the other Dom. 

“What? How? Why?” Zayn inquired, shocked Harry would do such a thing. If Harry was so protective about everything else, why did he let Louis have access to his phone? 

Louis shrugged. “He trusts me, I guess,” he muttered, unlocking the phone with ease. “He never let me look at it while he was around, and he always took it with him. Said it was only for emergencies.”

“That's odd,” Niall commented, then mumbled, “Although, maybe that's just the sub in him.”

The others nodded in agreement, while Louis pulled up safari. He immediately headed for the curly-haired lad’s search history, because that was simply where all of someone's secrets were kept. 

“Lads,” he said urgently, eyes open wide in shock. “Have a look at this.” He scrolled through the search history, and held the phone up for the others to see. 

There were many different links containing information about how to cope with being sub, what to do if you're an abused sub, how to hide your identity as a sub, etc. Sadly, the lads weren't as shocked as they should've been — Harry had been much too obvious lately. 

“Well, fuck,” Zayn cursed. “It's true. He's a sub.”

“How the hell?” Niall muttered to himself, scrubbing a hand over his face. “Never thought this would happen.”

“Ironic, innit?” Louis mused, setting everything in Harry's phone back to the way it was, so the lad wouldn't suspect anything. “Ellen just asked us this question recently. Never thought it'd actually come true.”

“Me either,” Liam mumbled, shaking his head in disbelief. “I mean, yeah, we were suspecting it, but it hadn't fully, totally registered within my mind that it was true.”

“What do we do now?” Zayn asked nervously, and all attention was directed at Louis. 

Louis sighed, relocking Harry's phone. “We continue doing what we already were doing: being dominant over him.” He bit his lip when the others all looked hesitant — he knew exactly what they were thinking. “Lads,” he said softly. “It’s for his own good. It’s unhealthy to fight your natural instincts. He’ll crack sooner or later.”

The lads just weren't exactly aware of _how_ soon that would be, and neither was Harry. 


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNINGS FOR THE CHAPTER: Doms exerting their authority, mention of subspace, mention of subdrop, angsty angst angst ;)

The boys would  _ not  _ leave Harry alone. 

It seemed like with every move he made, the boys were watching what he was doing. They eyed him when he got dressed, giving him pointed looks when he entered the washroom to change. 

By now, it had become almost useless to hide his true identity. 

But it hadn't become useless enough for Harry — he wasn't going to give up. 

Things had seemed kind of fishy from the moment Louis returned his phone to him after he left it in the other room. He had figured they'd gone through his stuff, but his suspicions were confirmed when he noticed safari was open — he'd clicked it out of his open apps earlier. 

The fact that his best friends invaded his privacy so obviously and then tried to hide it irked him, but he didn't have the courage to confront them. It would only turn into him feeling more submissive since he wasn’t used to taking control of situations, and then a disaster of his instincts would follow. 

“Haz?” Zayn asked, tapping his shoulder. The two lads were sat on the couch in their dressing room, both scrolling through their phones. “The show’s gonna start in ten minutes. You should get ready.” 

And there the lads went with their orders as well. It wasn't like they  _ demanded  _ he do certain things, but there was an underlying firmness behind their tone that made him listen. And this specific instinct was not one he could try to hold back — any attempts at doing so were futile. 

“Oh, yeah,” Harry said with a nod, tucking his phone in his pocket. “Just need to wee.” 

The black-haired lad nodded with a smile, and Harry made his way to the washroom. 

Of course, Louis just  _ had  _ to be in there doing his hair, and the blue-eyed boy gave him a grin when he walked in. “Hi, Hazza,” he greeted. “You look very nice.” 

“Um, thanks,” the sub said awkwardly, moving over to use the restroom. There was a terribly uncomfortable silence as he did his business, and he wished Louis didn't have to be with him for once. Things had been much too awkward lately. 

When he made his way toward the exit after washing his hands, he felt a hand tap his shoulder, making him freeze. “Don't touch me, please,” he requested quietly. “I don't think you've earned the privilege of touching me.” 

Louis playfully rolled his eyes. “I don't mean any harm, Haz, and you know it. I'm not dumb — it's obvious my touches comfort you,” he scoffed, though he wasn't being unkind. 

“Whatever,” Harry muttered, running a hand through his hair, not confirming or denying Louis’ assumptions. “What did you want to tell me?” 

“Let me check your outfit,” he murmured, scanning the sub’s clothes with approval. “Your shirt looks nice. You should just button up two more buttons, I think.”

“What the … Louis, you're not my Dom!” Harry exclaimed in frustration. “I mean … I'm a Dom! Don't be annoying!” He huffed, turning on his heel and exiting the washroom abruptly. 

They were set to start the show, lining up, but Harry was appalled to find that Louis was standing a bit closer to him than he would have liked. “Louis,” he hissed indignantly. “Back up a few steps. Please.”

The Dom grudgingly moved back, knowing that their fans would surely notice. 

Harry sniffed, fuming, but skipped onto the stage with the music. A rush of adrenaline ran through him the moment he heard their fans’ screams and squeals of excitement. This was the place he liked the most, onstage, singing his heart out. This was where classification didn’t matter. They had fans who were male, female, other. They had fans who were Doms, subs, and switches. Nothing really mattered here.

“It feels like we’ve been living in fast forward,” Liam began, grinning.

Harry felt another burst of adrenaline when they reached the chorus, Harry singing out with his heart. He almost felt like he could cry — that’s how happy he felt.

He saw security standing near the stage, and decided to be a little playful — their fans loved it whenever they did so. 

Harry grinned and reached an arm forward, making the girls squeal. He was grateful they didn’t faint, though. It had happened a few times before, and it scared him, really. But it was great to see the fans so up close and excited. 

“Harry!” a fan yelled particularly loudly, and he grinned, dimples showing, at her. 

The action immediately caused the fan to freak out and squeal, making Harry chuckle. It was always astounding to him how much the fans cared about him. Not even his mum had cared this much about him. 

It was refreshing to be surrounded by people that cared. 

“Harry! I love you!”

“Let me kiss you!”

“Come here!” 

The fans were shouting all different kinds of commands and phrases at him from all directions, some more appropriate than others. Laughing, he stuck his hand out in the crowd as he sang his solo, allowing the girls to scramble to hold his hand. 

He’d done this multiple times before, and he'd always been fine. But something about this time seemed off. Was this really such a good idea, giving himself to fans so easily? He didn't know if it was his sub instincts presenting themselves more than ever or what, but he had an uneasy feeling. 

Louis must have been feeling worried for him, too, as the sub took a quick glance behind him and saw the Dom staring directly at him, keeping a close eye on the scene. 

And it must've been while he was distracted by Louis’ captivating, azure blue eyes, because it wasn't until he saw the Dom scramble over to help him that he noticed a sharp tug on his wrist. 

His attention was immediately directed back to the crowd, the song turning over to the chorus now. “Harry, come here!” the fan was screeching, and the sub concluded they were most likely a Dom. 

Louis reached out and tried to grab the girl off Harry, but the boy had already been fighting her off. He pulled his wrist so forcefully that he fell back on his bum, making Louis gasp. 

“Haz, you okay? Are you hurt?” he asked frantically, yelling over the music.

Harry just grinned, knowing he had to fake a reaction. Louis skipped over to him as casually as possible and helped him up. They sang their respective parts before moving near the back where they picked up some water.

“Are you okay?” Louis asked again, looking worried. “Harry, answer me.”  

“No,” Harry shook his head, though tears gathered in his eyes. “No, I’m not okay.” What he had gone through would be traumatic for any sub, since, while they weren’t completely helpless, they didn’t exactly have the best strength to defend themselves. “That was scary,” he whimpered, curling in on himself. 

All traces of anger towards the Dom were now gone — he needed the older lad’s attention right now. 

“You're okay,” Louis soothed, helping him stand up without being too obvious. “It's over now. Do you want to sit down?” he asked, giving the group of girls that hurt Harry a small glare. 

The Dom led him to the stairs at the other end of the stage, where he helped him sit and handed him a bottle of water. “Thank you,” Harry said, avoiding eye contact. Why was he letting himself get so vulnerable? 

“Of course. Let me or the others know if you need anything. We’ll sing the next song sitting down, yeah?” he suggested. “To give you a break.” 

“Yeah,” Harry nodded, a tight smile on his lips. “Thanks.”

Only when the blue-eyed Dom walked away, Harry realized how submissive he had been acting. He groaned.  _ Great job, Styles,  _ he thought spitefully.  _ You’re doing a proper job of being a Dominant, aren’t you? _

He rolled his eyes and they began to sing their next song, I Would, sitting down this time. He blushed when Louis sang his part, letting his eyes flutter shut so he could concentrate on the Dom’s voice. It soothed him. 

When he was sitting down, it was easier for him to pay closer attention to the fans that were close by. He found himself eyeing them every once in awhile and giving them his charming smile. All the while, he couldn't help but wonder what they really thought his classification was. 

Of course, he knew about the conspiracy theories the fans had with Larry Stylinson. Louis was a confirmed Dominant, which meant the fans had to see him as a submissive. 

But why didn't they ever say anything? Sure, he didn't want his classification to be revealed for the sake of everyone in his life hating him, but at the same time, he did. If his true classification was revealed, he liked to think that he would be able to feel much more comfortable in his own skin, since he wouldn't have to constantly worry about hiding his instincts all the time. 

He was a little grumpy when Louis and Liam, who were having another water fight, splashed water all over him, but he didn't say much about it. It kind of felt nice, anyway, like it was washing away all the sweat. 

The show ended, the fans all screaming as they waved goodbye, and Harry was more than happy to groan and collapse onto the couch. 

“Harry, change out from your wet clothes,” Louis told him, stripping his own shirt off. “You'll catch a cold.”

Harry grumbled, but moved to change clothes, knowing that it wasn't worth starting an argument about. It was nice having someone care for him, despite him trying to stay annoyed with Louis. The Dom just cared for him, and it was refreshing for a change. 

He stripped his pants off first, changing into a comfortable pair of trousers. Next came his shirt, which was always the main struggle. He'd figured the Doms knew about his classification now, but he still didn't want to reveal himself so easily. He couldn't do that after all the work he’d put into hiding his true self. 

Looking back at the others, he made sure they were all preoccupied before he stepped into the washroom to change. The lads knew of his bizarre routine, obviously, but he still didn't want to make his actions so blatant. 

When he exited the washroom, Paul was discussing something with the lads. He stayed silent and didn't interrupt, not wanting to be rude. It was just his instincts showing themselves again, after all. 

“Haz, we all have to go see the tour doctor,” Louis told him, snapping him out of his silent gazing. “Just the routine check-up, you know the drill.”

“Yeah,” he grumbled, walking down the hall with the Dom. The blue-eyed lad placed a hand on the small of his back, just where his sub mark was, and it was no surprise that he shivered. 

It almost seemed like the Dom was doing this on purpose. 

“Don't be nervous,” Louis said softly, rubbing his back. “You're always good for the doctor.”

“Louis,” Harry huffed, snatching the Dom’s wrist and pulling his hand off his back. “Stop being so invasive. I need my personal space.”

Truthfully, he didn't mind the Dom’s hand on his sub mark, but he was just too worried the touch would make him drop to his knees and submit to the Dom right then and there. 

Louis eyed him but listened, not wanting to push Harry any further. He didn't want to make him too uncomfortable. 

“Harry, you go first,” Zayn said, gesturing to the doctor in the room. 

The sub huffed, slightly indignant, but he figured it would be better to get this over with, anyway. Plus, he could ask about his submissive instincts flying out of control. 

He walked into the room with the doctor, not even noticing how he easily obeyed Zayn’s orders. The doctor went over their usual check-up like they always did, before it was Harry's turn to ask any questions. He was a little hesitant at first, but the doctor encouraged him gently to speak about his troubles — it wouldn’t do him any good to hold back.

“My submissive instincts … they — they've been showing themselves more lately,” he said nervously, fiddling with his fingers. “I've been trying to fight them off, but nothing works.”

The doctor smiled sympathetically. “The more you fight your true, submissive instincts off, the more they're bound to show themselves. It's just how sub anatomy works,” he explained softly. 

Harry gulped at this information. “Oh,” he breathed anxiously. “So … what can I do? Is there any type of medicine to suppress them? I can't—” he was growing more apprehensive by the minute. 

“Calm down, lad,” the doctor said. “I'm sorry, but there isn't any type of medicine like that. The only advice I can give you is to allow your instincts to do their thing. Your body is clearly craving a Dominant presence, with how much your instincts are revealing themselves. The more you fight your natural submissive instincts, the stronger they’ll be in fighting back, so your submissive tendencies will begin to show themselves more and more over time.”

That was exactly the answer Harry had been afraid to hear. After all this time spent hiding his true self, was it all just going to be for nothing? Had he completely wasted his time? 

Or was this what was supposed to happen? He really did want a Dom, to love, take care of, and watch over him. But he also wanted to hide his true self, to live his life full of secrets. 

But it seemed the latter was not the way things were destined to turn out. 

_____

Harry couldn’t help but keep thinking about the doctor’s words. What if one day, something big actually happened? What if he fell to his knees in public, or became too obedient? What if he fell into subspace in public, but everyone got it recorded? What if his mum became even more disappointed in him?

He swallowed over the lump in his throat, unwilling to consider that possibility. He just wanted his mum to be proud of him, just once.

He was lost in his thoughts until his phone buzzed, signaling that he had received a notification. He picked up the phone, sighing, and unlocked it. He frowned when he saw what it was.

_ Gemma: Good show today :) mum and I were watching it. _

Harry smiled, feeling a little pained. Gemma, ever so supportive, but unable to do anything to prevent his mum’s hurtful words. He knew that he needed her in his life, though. Besides, he never blamed her for what his mum was doing to him. It wasn’t like she could control their mum.

_ Harry: Thanks :) bet you forced mum to watch it. _

Harry grimaced when he realized how bitter the last sentence sounded, but it was too late to undo anything now. He licked his dry lips, waiting for Gemma’s reply.

_ Gemma: No, she watched it on her own. Didn’t force her _

Harry raised an eyebrow. Well, that was surprising.

_ Gemma: Uh .. she said ‘good job acting like a Dom…’ _

Harry frowned. Was that sarcastic? Confused, he texted back a reply and heaved a sigh of apprehension, worried by what his mum had meant by that.

_ Harry: Sarcasm? :/ _

_ Gemma: Not sure … _

Harry sighed.  _ Gee, thanks, mum,  _ he thought spitefully.

_ Harry: K. _

He tossed his phone onto his bed, frustrated at how things were happening in his life, and he stormed into the kitchen to get a glass of water. He planned to take a shower, wanting to cool down.

“Hey, Haz,” Liam said, looking slightly puzzled at how angry Harry was. “You okay?”

Harry just downed an entire glass of ice cold water, not even feeling how cold it was, and grabbed a shirt and some loose sweatpants. In his anger, not even realizing what he was doing, he stripped off his shirt, just wanting to be in the shower faster.

Then his blood ran cold.

He had just taken his shirt off, in front of the others.

He had shown them his bare back.

What had he just done?

He scrambled to put on the new shirt, and pulled it hurriedly over his head, when a strong hand on his shoulder stopped him.

“Harry.”

The voice made him freeze. Harry shivered, eyes stinging. He was such a fuck up. He kept fucking up, messing everything up. Years and years of effort, yet he still couldn’t be a proper Dominant.

_ Because you aren’t one _ , a small voice told him, but he pushed it away.

“Harry,” Louis repeated. “It’s okay.”

Harry let out a silent sob, unable to prevent it. He wasn’t exactly angry over the fact that the others had seen, he was more upset that he had spent so much time and effort into hiding all of this, yet it was now all falling apart. “No, it’s not,” he sniffled, voice cracking. 

“It is,” Louis said gently. “Harry, we already know. Stop fighting. Let yourself have some peace.”

Harry let out another broken sob. “I can’t.”

“Why not?”

Harry felt Louis approach him, and sure enough, he felt a hand on his shoulder. He flinched and shrugged the hand off. “I just can’t.” He wasn’t willing to tell them about his mum. It would just make him look even more pitiful.

“Can you turn around for me?” Louis asked. “For us.”

Harry hesitated, then slowly shifted around, head dropped. He felt Louis tilt his head up with a finger, and he sniffled when he met blue eyes gazing into his own. 

“So pretty,” Louis cooed. “You’re fine, sweetheart.”

Harry couldn’t help the tears that continued to stream down his face. He felt so ashamed looking at Louis, after all he'd hidden from him. The guilt was pretty great, even though he knew there wasn't much reason for it. 

He couldn’t fight his instincts, as he had learned the most difficult way. 

“Is it okay if you show us your mark?” Louis asked gently. “We’re not going to hurt you. We just want to see it.”

Harry glanced ahead of him at the other Doms, who were standing behind Louis. They were all watching the exchange with somewhat saddened eyes, and the sub had to force himself to look away. 

“Hazza?” 

Harry gulped, gathering his nerves to speak. “Yeah,” he said. “Yes.”

Although he wasn't quite sure what their intentions were in seeing his mark again, he trusted them. They were his band mates, even though they were Doms, and he needed to trust them. 

He slowly turned around, and Louis lifted his shirt up slowly. The sub flinched and gasped quietly when he felt warm fingers running along the mark, and he immediately felt it tingle. 

“Is it tingling?” Louis asked gently, still running his fingers along it. 

“Yes,” Harry whispered, trying not to pull away. The touch wasn't uncomfortable for him, nor was the tingling sensation. It was moreso the fact that he was willingly letting this happen, that he had lost all control and given into his instincts. “W–Why does it tingle?” he asked hesitantly, hoping Niall and Liam wouldn't make fun of him for being misinformed, yet again. 

“It means you need a Dominant to look after you,” Louis told him. “When it tingles, your body is craving for a Dominant. You need someone right now, Harry,” he said seriously. 

Harry nodded uncertainly.  _ I need you,  _ he thought, but didn't dare say so out loud. Maybe he should save those thoughts for another occasion. “Oh.”

“Harry, I want you to know,” Louis paused, still running his fingers along the mark soothingly, “I want you to know that this mark is special. You're special, as a submissive. You should be cared for and loved and treasured, understand? You need to know that,” he said firmly. 

Louis’ words were truly hard to believe when he'd been told the exact opposite all his life. Was what Anne said true, or Louis? He wished he could say Anne, his own Mum’s, words were true, but sadly, he couldn't, because she never told him anything kind about being a submissive, like most mums would. 

He knew Louis had to be right. 

“Yeah,” he whispered, and Louis let his shirt fall back down and cover the mark again. 

“Why don’t you sit down?” Zayn suggested, not unkindly, and gently placed a hand on his shoulder. “Just calm down; everything's alright.”

“We didn’t even know about this till a few days ago, mate,” Niall chortled. “Such a surprise!”

Harry sniffled.

“Niall,” Louis said, nostrils flaring as he pinched the bridge of his nose frustratedly. “Please. Now is not the best time.”

“Sorry.”

Harry just fiddled with his fingers, upset at himself. All his hard work for years and years — wasted. Just gone. Poof.

His thoughts made him upset again and he quickly blinked the tears away.

Unfortunately, Louis had seen him, and the blue–eyed Dom commented, “Hazza, it’s okay. Have you … have you been talking to our doctor about this?”

Harry gave a small nod, not wanting to speak.

“What did he say?”

“Just … that I’ll have to be a sub anyway eventually, I guess.” Harry winced at the harsh words he had just spoken. It felt strange actually referring to himself as a sub out loud, like he’d done something wrong. “D–Do you guys hate me now? I understand if you do. I—”

“No,” Zayn shook his head rapidly. “No, Harry. We'd never hate you. Especially not for something you can't control.”

“Okay,” Harry whispered, still feeling uncertain. He didn't really understand how they could  _ not  _ hate him — his mum always told him that he would be no good since he was a sub, that no one would love him. She certainly didn't love him for who he was, so why did they?

Louis bit his lip. “Remember what I said at our interview with Ellen? How we’d  _ never  _ hate any of our band mates if they happened to be a sub?”

Harry nodded minutely, rubbing under his nose. 

“Exactly. What I said was true,” Louis told him gently. “There will be no prejudice here. We're all equals, and we will always love you. We're brothers.” He smiled softly. 

The sub inwardly smiled at Louis’ words, though he wanted him to love him as  _ more  _ than just a band mate, than a brother. He wanted to have Louis as his Dom — to love him more than anyone else ever had and ever would.

But he couldn't have that. There was no way Louis would agree, or even want to be a Dom for such a terrible, unknowledgeable sub like him! 

It wasn't even worth asking the Dom if he would. Besides, how would their relationship — if it were to happen — work out with management and the media? No way would they actually allow Louis to come out as gay, let alone Harry as well!

It was one thing Harry didn’t understand — management constantly and persistently suggested that he come out as a sub whenever he was ready, but he had to hide his sexuality. How did that work?  _ Being gay will take away attention,  _ he repeated managment’s words in his head mockingly. That was what management always told them, the little pieces of shites.

“You … you can’t tell anyone,” was the only logical thing that came out of Harry’s mouth. 

“Of course we won’t,” Zayn assured. “We understand that you want to keep it unknown, for now at least.”

“Does anyone else know?” Liam asked. “That you’re a sub, I mean. And that you’ve been hiding it.”

Harry flinched at the Dom’s blunt words, and for a moment, just wanted to punch both him and Niall. Honestly, didn’t they have  _ some  _ common sense?

Thankfully, Louis seemed to catch his growing frustration, for he said, “Ni, Li, how about you two go get Harry a cold glass of water? And maybe a small snack, like a granola bar or a cookie.”

“Thank you,” Harry whispered when the two were gone. They had really been getting on his nerves.

“It’s no worry, love.” Louis smiled.

“Liam and Niall are,” Zayn said, voice hushed, “a little less experienced than Lou or I. Younger, more immature. Try to understand them.”

Harry gave a small nod. He shifted back on his seat and sighed, upset again. “I really don’t know what to do,” he confessed. 

He saw Zayn and Louis exchange looks, and Louis gently questioned, “What do you mean, love?”

Harry glared at the ground, annoyed with how everything in his life was turning out. Was it really that hard to be happy for just one second?

“You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to,” Zayn reminded.

“The Doctor said that as time goes on and I continue to fight against my instincts, they’ll get stronger. It’ll cause more health risks and problems, and I’ll eventually just fall into subspace, or even worse, subdrop, if I get even a little triggered.” Harry huffed frustratedly and pulled at his hair. “Don’t want to disappoint anyone else,” he muttered to himself. 

Louis furrowed his brows. “Who would you disappoint, love? You're not disappointing us.”

Harry avoided eye contact and shrugged. He didn't want to tell the others about his mum just yet — he’d already allowed too much to slip from his secrets today. “You guys,” he mumbled instead, because it was true. He didn't want his band mates to all of a sudden treat him differently now. 

“Harry, you never disappoint us,” Zayn reassured. “Especially not because of your classification. You can't help if you're a Dom, switch, or sub. It's who you are.” 

The sub nodded minutely, though he didn't really believe Zayn’s words. All his life, his mum had told him to act like a Dom, and he'd been able to pull it off for the most part. If he’d gone so long pretending to be a Dom, then was it really true that he couldn't change who he was? 

“What are you thinking about?” Louis questioned, placing a hand gently on his thigh. 

“Nothing,” Harry mumbled.

“No bad thoughts?” Louis inquired, looking concerned.

“No.” Harry shook his head and sighed. “Just upset.”

“You don’t need to tell us why you’re so upset, because I personally feel like there’s much more to it than just what we know, but if you ever do want to talk about, we’re here,” Zayn reminded. “We won’t judge, Hazza, no matter what it is. We’re your brothers; we care about you.”

“If you cared so much about me, why did you try so hard to out me?” Harry said before he could stop himself, his voice full of contempt. “I–I — sorry. I didn’t mean—”

“We tried so hard to out you because we  _ care  _ for you,” Louis answered soothingly. “Haz, you know more than us about all the health issues that could come up if you kept fighting. We don’t want you to be hurt. We want you to be happy.”

“I didn’t like it,” Harry admitted, “how you all kept pressuring me.”

“I … yeah.” Zayn and Louis exchanged glances. “It might not have been the best idea,” Zayn confessed. “I suppose we were all just worried for you, but we didn’t know how to express it properly.”

“Just promise us one thing,” Louis said.

Harry bit his lip, fearfully waiting for what exactly Louis wanted. 

“Please make sure that no matter what, you put your health first,” Louis said, looking at him pleadingly. “We want you to be healthy, whatever it is that you choose to do, whether that means acting like a Dom, or choosing to be a sub. And remember that there is absolutely  _ nothing  _ wrong with being a sub.”

Harry breathed a small sigh of relief. Maybe he could continue being a Dom if he managed to convince them that acting as a Dom was truly what he wanted — even though it wasn't. 

“Subs are treasured,” Zayn agreed. “Without subs, what would Doms be?”

Before Harry could answer the question (although he did feel that it was rhetorical), Liam and Niall appeared with a glass of water and a tray of snacks. He smiled at them gratefully, and it was returned. He took the glass with trembling hands, but thankfully didn't drop it. 

“Want me to open you a package?” Louis offered, reaching out for the wrapped biscuits. 

“Yes, please.” Harry nodded, feeling small as he watched Louis open the packages up for him kindly. He reached out and nibbled on one. 

“Is everything alright?” Liam asked cautiously, seeming to understand how serious the situation was. It was definitely not a time for jokes, and thankfully, even Niall seemed to understand that. 

“Yes,” Harry answered before anyone else could. “I'm fine. We're all fine.”

“Remember, choose what will benefit you,” Louis reminded quietly, breathing in his ear as Zayn flipped the TV on to get rid of the deafening silence that had settled. “No one will judge you. No one will be disappointed.”

_ Not true,  _ Harry thought, but just gave a small smile, not wanting the other lads to worry. 

He knew he couldn't be a sub — not when his mum was watching his every move, constantly reminding him that he was supposed to be a Dom. But maybe the other lads would prefer it if he was a sub. Maybe the public would like him as a sub better — it would definitely be more interesting than just an all-Dom band. Maybe Louis would like him better if he was a sub. 

But in this one moment, he allowed himself to relax and be exactly what he wanted to be — a sub, cared for and loved, with his best mates right there with him. 


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNINGS FOR THE CHAPTER: References to past abuse
> 
> Hey everyone! Sorry for the super long wait. We hope that this chapter is worth the wait. More will come. We aren't giving up on this story, don't worry! Please leave your thoughts in the comments :) they help motivate us. Enjoy! xx

“You sure you're gonna be alright?” Zayn checked. “We can always stay with you two and keep you company.”

Louis smiled. “No, it's okay,” he assured. “Haz and I will be fine. I'm sure we'll be able to think of something to keep ourselves company. Right, Hazza?” 

Harry gave a small smile. “Yeah.” 

It had been two weeks since the others had found out Harry was a sub. During those two weeks, Harry had been slightly surprised to find out that the other lads didn't treat him any different than when they had believed he was a Dom. Most of the time, the topic wasn't even brought up. Harry personally figured that none of the other boys wanted to make it awkward, so they just didn't mention it. 

Harry, with his ever so in-his-favour luck, had caught a slight cold and didn't want to risk making it even worse. The worst thing would be not being able to sing because of a sore throat and sniffly nose. Louis had selflessly offered to stay at the hotel with him while the other lads planned to venture out into Paris.

“You can go if you want,” Harry said softly. “Don't worry about me.”

“No, it's okay.” Louis smiled again. “Besides, we have an interview tomorrow together anyway. Some time together would be nice, wouldn't it? No cameras, no other eyes.” He grinned, and Harry couldn't help but smile back, actually liking the thought of that. 

Zayn, Liam, and Niall all left the hotel with promises that they would get them some food. 

“What do you want to do, Hazza?” Louis asked with a goofy wiggle of his eyebrows. “We could watch a movie, if you'd like.”

Harry paused for a moment to think. How romantic was it, that they were in Paris, just the two of them for now? It would obviously be the perfect time to watch a proper sad chick flick, of course. 

“Titanic!” he blurted out without thinking, then blushed. 

Louis chuckled. “As you wish,” he teased. 

They started the movie and Harry shuffled his feet awkwardly, not sure where to sit. Louis jumped into the hotel bed and patted the spot beside him. “C’mon, what're you waiting for? A movie is only perfect if we watch it comfortably!”

Harry squeaked, and blushing, he crawled up next to Louis. Louis lifted the covers for him and he wriggled underneath them. He let Louis play with his hair as they watched the film. Louis had always had an obsession for his curls, not that he was complaining. It felt nice for someone to play with his hair. 

“This is my favourite part,” Louis murmured in Harry's ear, his breath making the sub shiver. It had been silent up until now, both boys content with watching the movie in each other’s presence. “Look!”

Harry's eyes widened as he watched Rose close her eyes and grab onto Jack’s hand, trusting him to guide her. 

“Now step up,” Jack was telling Rose, “and hold onto the railing.” 

The way Jack spoke sent tingles up Harry's spine, the dominant but gentle tone he had affecting him. He watched as Rose gripped Jack’s hand with all her might and stepped onto the front railing of the ship, standing on the very edge. He was afraid she was going to fall like she did in the beginning of the movie, and so he sucked in a sharp breath. 

“Will she fall?” he whispered, panicked, to Louis. 

Louis smiled, seemingly amused at Harry's worries. “No, she won't. Quite the opposite, really. Keep watching.”

Harry obeyed without thinking, of course, and continued watching. He smiled when Jack began to sing softly in Rose’s ear as he held her arms out like a bird to simulate the sensation of flying. Feelings of jealousy started to seep in, and he found himself wondering if he’d ever be lucky enough to have a Dom as caring as Jack. 

“He's so gentle with her,” Harry murmured unintentionally, not realizing what he was saying. It wasn't that it was anything bad, but he didn't really want to broach the topic of his classification yet again. 

Thankfully, Louis didn't sweat it. “As he should be,” he said with an underlying firmness in his tone, as if he were trying to make a point. And Harry understood — Louis wanted Harry to know that he shouldn't be shocked when Doms cared for their subs. 

Harry simply offered Louis a small smile and leaned closer into his side. He stuffed his head in the crook of Louis’ neck, in the mood for a cuddle, making the blue-eyed boy chuckle and stroke his curls again. 

When the movie ended, Harry found that he had been pressing into Louis’ side. Flushing, he shifted a bit away. “Sorry,” he said awkwardly. “Didn't mean to crowd you.”

Louis smiled at him. “‘S fine,” he assured softly. “I don't mind, Haz. You don't need to apologize.”

Harry shrugged. “Just felt like I was annoying you.”

Louis frowned. “You weren't,” he promised. There was an awkward silence before the Dom spoke up. “You know the news about Troye Sivan, right?” 

Harry looked up, puzzled as to where this conversation was going. 

At Harry’s silence, Louis continued. “He came out as gay not too long ago.”

Harry shrugged. “So what? Now he can go and find some cute boy submissive now.” 

Louis gave a small, wry smile. “Haz, he came out as gay  _ and  _ as a submissive.”

Harry stared. “Oh,” he said, dumbfounded. 

Louis regarded a fidgeting Harry silently for a few moments before speaking up again. “You know, Haz, nothing’s changed even though we know you're a sub.”

Harry stiffened a little. 

Louis seemed to hesitate for a second before gently placing a hand on Harry’s thigh. “You don't need to be ashamed or act different around us,” he told the sub softly. “It's perfectly okay to be yourself.”

“I'm not.” Harry gave a tight smile. “You don't have to worry, Lou.”

Louis smiled amusedly. “You know I always worry about everyone I care about. It's instinct for a Dom,” he chuckled. 

“I know,” Harry agreed immediately, “I understand that.” He laughed uneasily, then stopped. Why had he said that? He didn't need to pretend to be a Dom anymore. Had it really become so routine that he didn't even have to think about protecting his identity anymore?

“Haz,” Louis sighed sadly, squeezing Harry's thigh reassuringly, “you don't have to—”

“I know,” Harry interrupted quickly. “I guess I just — I forgot.” He laughed awkwardly, avoiding eye contact with Louis.  _ Of course,  _ he thought dryly,  _ leave it up to me to mess things up with Louis.  _

“Just try and relax,” Louis suggested gently. “I know it’s hard but I want you to be comfortable around us. You don’t have to pretend to be anything you’re not.”

“I know!” Harry huffed, then sighed. “Sorry,” he apologized. “I didn’t mean to lash out. It’s just … I dunno.”

“It’s fine.”

Harry wanted to bury his face in his hands at the awkward atmosphere but he refrained from actually doing so. After a few minutes of uncomfortable silence, he couldn’t resist and jerked his head up to face Louis. “Does … do spankings hurt?” he blurted out, then went bright red at his question. Of course, out of all the questions he could have asked, it just had to be that one to pop out of his mouth.

Louis threw his head back and laughed. “I, well, I reckon it does?” He chuckled. “That’s the point of it — if you’re talking about spankings for a punishment.”

“Isn’t there only one type of spankings?” Harry was confused. “For punishment, right?” He couldn’t help but let his mind wander to how it would feel to be over Louis’ lap, about to get a spanking. Louis would be so firm with him, bringing his hand down to discipline him and correct him for his actions …  _ snap out of it!  _ he scolded. Louis would never want a sub like him. He probably wanted some other handsome, adorable twink to be his sub so that he could use him for his pleasure. He decided to change the topic before his head ran off to more dirty thoughts and gave him an erection — because that would be pretty embarrassing.

“What’s it like actually being a Dom?” he asked. “You know, waiting to find a submissive of your own?”

Louis tapped his fingers against his knee for a few moments, looking thoughtful, before answering. “It’s exciting, I suppose,” he answered. “Sometimes I feel a bit impatient, too. I mean, I can’t wait to get a sub of my own one day.”

“So that you can use him for your pleasure?” Harry guessed. “I suppose it would get pretty tiring just always using your hand to get off.” He was confused when he looked up and saw a horrified expression on Louis’ face. He frowned. “Why? Did I say something wrong?”

“N–No … I … Harry … subs aren’t just there for Doms’ pleasures.” Louis sounded a little shaky. “Subs are there to be treasured. That’s what I meant. I can’t wait to take care of a sub and make him feel special and valued. That’s how all subs should feel.” His voice lowered. “Isn’t that how you want to feel?”

“I … I guess,” Harry answered uncertainly.

Louis regarded him thoughtfully for a few moments before asking, “What about you, Haz?” He nudged the sub with his elbow, making him squeak. “What does it feel like to be a sub?”

Harry bit his lip, wringing his hands together before deciding on an answer. “I dunno … I guess it feels …” 

“Jaunty?” Louis suggested. “Untroubled?”

“Lonely.”

_____

After spending the day with Louis, Harry had several emotions going through his head. He kept wanting to regret saying the things he’d said, but he couldn't find it in himself to do so. Confessing some of his true feelings to Louis had felt nice. He didn't feel like he had to worry about much when he was with the Dom, except for embarrassing himself with his lack of knowledge. 

As he thought about things, he came to realize that Louis was most likely a decent Dom. He never made him feel inferior or stupid, and he answered all of his questions honestly. 

So why had his mum and Robin drilled into his head that Doms were superior and subs had no rights? It didn't make any sense after what Louis told him — that subs were meant to be cared for and treasured. 

He found himself feeling even more angry at his mum and Robin, and even a little bit at Gemma. She had never done anything outright mean to him, no, but she could've taken the time to teach Harry what being a sub truly meant, and she hadn't. 

In his anger, Harry huffed and grabbed his phone from the nightstand, unable to sleep due to all these intrusive thoughts. He opened up Twitter and scrolled through his timeline for a little bit, noticing Louis had sent out a tweet about an hour ago — just after he had left to go to sleep. 

_ ‘To all the subs out there who aren't feeling good about themselves: you're perfect ! :)’  _  Harry blushed as he found himself reading it in Louis’ voice, which led to him imagining Louis saying those words just to him. 

Even if the tweet wasn't intended for him, Harry still liked to think it was since he was a sub, too. 

But he had a feeling it was. 

Rolling over, the sub turned his phone off and put it back on the nightstand, now able to fall asleep thinking happy thoughts. 

_____

Harry stepped out of the shower, humming along to the radio as he dried his hair with his towel. He tied it around his waist before stepping out of the loo.

“You’re certainly a morning person.”

Harry jumped, eyes wide in shock. “L-Louis?” Then he cursed, scrambling to pull up his towel before realizing that he didn’t have to hide his sub mark anymore, and let his hands drop.

“Sorry.” Louis frowned at him. “Didn’t mean to scare you.”

“No, it’s okay.” Harry exhaled shakily.

“Just wanted to let you know that we need to get to our interview in a few minutes,” Louis told him. 

“Are the other lads ready?” Harry asked, looking for some clothes.

“No. It’s just the two of us in this interview, remember?”

“Oh, right.” Harry blushed at forgetting such a simple fact, and pulled out some clothes, letting his towel drop to the floor. He’d never really had a problem with nudity; he didn’t think it was weird. Besides, his parents had told him when he was younger that his body was going to be his Dom’s in the future. He’d grown up all his life thinking that his body wasn’t technically his.

“You’ve been working out properly lately,” Louis noted. He smirked good-naturedly, seeing Harry blush. “Good lad, good lad … nice little body.”

As Harry pulled on some clothes, he couldn’t help but feel slightly pleased with himself that Louis had seemed satisfied with his nudity. Maybe his parents had been right with that little fact — after all, his body wasn’t his, was it? “So I guess all Doms like knowing that their sub’s body is theirs?” he asked absentmindedly.

“What?” Louis sounded confused, and Harry’s heart sank when he realized he had just been fed another dark lie from his parents. 

His happy mood quickly dropping, he waved Louis off. “Never mind.” He straightened up. “‘M ready.”

Louis nodded slowly. “Okay.” He didn’t press Harry anymore on the matter, though Harry caught the Dom shooting him a few thoughtful looks.

They arrived at the location the interview would take place without much fuss, heading into the building where they would be recording it. Harry kind of maybe wanted Louis to put his hand on the small of his back and lead him inside, but he thought it'd be weird to ask him. Instead, he walked inside side by side with Louis and waved at the fans waiting for them, their happiness making him smile. 

Inside, they were made to sit right next to each other, and Harry could already feel his cheeks heating up. Something about being in close proximity with Louis made him feel squirmy and giggly, which resulted in their interview beginning with a soft giggle leaving his lips. 

Louis turned to him and gave him a fond smile, making Harry want to giggle even more, but he refrained and paid attention to the interviewer. 

“How about we have you two introduce yourselves in French?” they suggested. 

Harry immediately looked to Louis, not knowing if he should go first or not. Louis gave him a nod of approval, which nearly made Harry explode, so he went ahead and said, “Je m’appelle Harry,” with his dimples popping out. 

Louis followed suit, saying, “Je m’appelle Louis.”

The interview gave them a smile before starting off with the first question. “What do you like the most when you come to other countries? The food, the girls, meeting new subs from other places? Because you’re both Doms, correct?”

Harry bit his lip, unsure of how to answer that, his mind going blank. He glanced at Louis, fumbling for an answer. Thankfully, Louis answered for him.

“The food is interesting. And like, so is the culture,” the Dom responded lightly.

Relieved, Harry nodded and murmured, “Yes. I really think that all the things here are different and cool — like the buildings. Even the buildings are different from the ones we’re used to.”

“But the girls as well, of course,” Louis added, almost too hastily. “It’s really interesting to see how the girls are different here.”

Harry bit his cheek, holding back a smile, knowing that Louis hadn’t even spared a glance at all the pretty girls in Paris. He had been eyeing the boys more than the girls.

The interviewer laughed a little, then continued on. “And one best moment from the X-Factor times? Or any hardships you had?”

“I think the best time was when we sang with Robbie Williams,” Harry jumped in, feeling bad that Louis was answering everything. “It’s quite big for us.”

“It was amazing,” Louis agreed. “We didn’t really have any hardships either, no. It was just one of those things where you feel like you were just … meant to become a group, I guess?” He let out a chuckle.

The interviewer smiled. “Perhaps because you were all Doms?” she suggested. “Maybe that made it easier.”

Harry’s heart skipped a beat, but he smiled and nodded, doing his best to act natural. “Yeah, maybe.” He saw Louis’ eyes flicker over to him at the lie, but thankfully, the interview continued on smoothly.

The interviewer then gave them a few pictures — one of the first pictures they took in X-Factor, a picture of their album, the fans, and more — and each time Harry reached forward to grab it from the interviewer, he could feel his shirt slide up a little. His heart jumped every time, even though he knew that no one could see it — he was just paranoid. The next time the interviewer tried to hand the next picture to him, he fumbled with it, trying not to drop it. His blood went cold when his shirt slid up his back and he was about to panic when he felt a hand pull his shirt back down. 

“Whoa there, curly, don’t want to tease our fans by revealing too much skin!” Louis joked, pulling his shirt back down and holding it in place for him.

Harry’s shoulders sagged and he forced himself to laugh and apologize lightly. He knew that Louis teasing him would be the best way to casually help hide his sub mark, and he internally thanked Louis on his knees for being so helpful.

The next time he had to lean forward, it reassured him to feel the weight of Louis’ hand on the small of his back, holding his shirt in place. He had to suppress a smile — unsuccessfully. He flipped the palette over and smiled when he saw what it was. “A fan made this?” he checked.

“Yes,” the interviewer confirmed.

Louis pointed to Niall’s description. “Cute and Irish — I’d say yes.”

Harry made a small sound of agreement. 

Louis laughed as he pointed to Liam’s picture. “This picture is hilarious. Sexy and smart? Sometimes?”

Harry grinned when they moved on to his picture. It still felt a bit odd to see his face plastered everywhere. He liked it though. It was a nice change.

Louis’ grin widened in amusement when he saw Harry’s description. “Hot and dangerous,” he chuckled.

“I like dangerous,” Harry added cheekily with a smirk.

“That’s funny.” Louis’ grin was huge now.

“Not hot? Why?” the interviewer asked with a laugh.

“No … no, of course he’s hot.” Louis nudged Harry with a smirk and Harry blushed at the Dom’s words.

“Thanks,” he laughed, glad that it didn’t come out as a giggle instead. He patted Louis’ cheek, remembering that he had to keep on the act of a Dom, not be a sub melting at praise.

“Quiet and mysterious … that’s Zayn.” Louis tapped his fingers on his image. “Adorable and funny.”

Harry jumped into the conversation in a heartbeat. “Um, I would describe him more as funny and handsome and rugged … and a little more manly.”

Louis let out a laugh. “Thank you … thank you, dangerous.”

Harry’s cheeks were starting to hurt with how big his grin had been. He pressed his lips together, suppressing a giggle, and handed the picture back to the interviewer.

He was glad to say that the rest of the interview continued just as smoothly.

_____

“Lou?” Harry asked quietly, coming up and tapping the Dom’s shoulder. The older boy was talking with Lou, their stylist, as she prepared the hair products she was going to use on the boys for their music video shoot. 

The Dom turned around, a grin making its way onto his face when he saw Harry. “Hey, Haz! What're you up to, love?”

Harry blushed, trying with all his might not to let out an unintentional squeak. Louis had recently begun using the term of endearment when he addressed him, and the sub couldn't get enough of it. Everything between them was strictly platonic, of course, but it made Harry feel protected and cared for — just what he craved. “Hi.” 

Louis chuckled, shaking his head at Harry's cuteness. “I'll talk to you later, Lou,” he called behind him, eager to spend some time with Harry. “Do you wanna just talk, Haz?” he asked, looking seriously into Harry's eyes. He wasn't Harry's Dom, no, but he was still a Dom and one of Harry's best mates, so he could read his emotions pretty well. He could tell something was bothering the lad. 

“Y–Yes please,” Harry replied, nodding his head. He felt himself shiver as a tingle erupted in the small of his back when Louis placed a hand there, beginning to lead him along as they walked together. 

“Is something bothering you, love?” Louis asked immediately, eyes full of concern for the boy. “You don't have to be afraid to tell me anything; I'll always be here for you,” he assured meaningfully. 

Harry swallowed, Louis’ words making him melt on the inside. “A little,” he confessed, twiddling his fingers. “It's just … I don't want to film alone. I'm afraid to be alone. Can you stay with me, please?”

Although Harry still wasn't out to very many people as a sub, ever since Louis found out about his classification, he noticed the boy becoming a bit more clingy to him. He wanted to vent to him at times, but also stayed relatively secretive and private at the same time; he enjoyed spending time with Louis, which wasn't new, but now, he seemed to crave his attention. It was endearing, if anything. 

“Of course, Haz.” Louis smiled, happy Harry was being honest with him. “I'd be happy to stick around.”

It was things like this that made Harry become even more infatuated with Louis. A small, dimpled smile made its way onto his face, and he looked away shyly as Louis ruffled his curls. 

Lou began to get all the boys ready, and Harry couldn’t help but be slightly distracted with everyone bustling past him, yelling and shouting. He took a shaky deep breath, trying to calm himself down.

“You okay?”

Harry jumped when he felt a hand on his shoulder, and turned around, hoping to see Louis. Unfortunately, it was only Liam, looking concerned. 

“You look like you’re going to be sick, mate,” the Dom stated worriedly.

“Just a bit peachy,” Harry responded with a smile that he was sure came out more like a grimace. “Think some water will do me good.” He quickly ducked away from Liam, not wanting to be asked any other questions.

He bumped into Louis along the way, which he didn’t mind so much. The Dom seemed to immediately realize something was wrong, and placed both hands on his shoulders. “You okay, love?” he asked gently, pulling him aside when more people rushed back, arguing with each other. “You look like a deer in the headlights.”

“And I feel like one,” Harry blurted out before he could stop himself. He bit his lip and lowered his eyes. “It’s just … there’s too many people. I dunno … just intimidates me, I guess. Which is pretty stupid, considering we perform in front of millions.” He laughed humourlessly.

“Not stupid,” Louis responded, pulling him in for a hug and holding him tightly. “It’s all fine. Sometimes I feel nervous too.”

Harry shakily nodded, closing his eyes and trying to calm himself down. God, he loved the feeling of being wrapped in Louis’ arms. After a minute, he forced himself to pull away with a smile. “Thank you.”

“Anything for you, love,” Louis murmured. “And remember that I’ll be watching you for your solo parts.”

Harry licked his dry lips and weakly smiled. “Right.”

“What in the world are you two doing?” A man appeared in front of them, looking agitated.

Louis and Harry exchanged looks, unsure of what to say.

“You—” the man jabbed a finger at them, Harry flinching ever so slightly — “need to hurry over there with the other lads and start filming. We don’t have much time. Shoo!”

Harry scrambled towards the place the man had indicated.

“Well, the director certainly isn’t in a good mood today,” Louis muttered to him.

Harry groaned. “That’s the director?” He was already dreading filming for this music video.

“Suppose so,” Louis sighed, placing a hand on the small of Harry's back, on his sub mark, making it tingle. “Remember that I'll always be nearby if you need me.”

Harry nodded and gave a sincere smile, trying to ignore the tingling in his back. He reminded himself not to read too much into it — Louis probably just forgot about his mark. The Dom hadn't done it on purpose, obviously. “Thank you, Lou.”

“Boys!” the director yelled, coming up to them again and grabbing Harry by the arm, leading him over to the set. “Stop dilly-dallying and get to work. It's time to film.”

Louis frowned. “Hey, don't be so rough with him,” he called. “Treat us with respect please.”

The curly-haired sub gave Louis a wary look, not wishing to start a conflict, to which the Dom mouthed, ‘it's okay.’ “It's fine, Louis,” he said quietly. “I'll … go film now.”

Louis wanted to protest, but he didn't want to make Harry frightened or even more upset. He gritted his teeth in frustration and followed the director to Harry's filming location, finding a place to stand off to the side where he could watch. 

“You can't stand there while Harry's filming,” the director told the Dom, a scowl on his face. 

“Harry requested I stay with him, so I  _ will  _ be standing here,” Louis retorted firmly, crossing his arms. “I'm not going to bother anyone.”

Harry stayed in his place, locking his fingers together in front of him nervously. He was already apprehensive about filming, and this terrible director seriously wasn't helping. He was thankful Louis was there to defend him, but at the same time, he  _ hated  _ that he felt like he needed someone there to watch over him. 

Sometimes, it really sucked being a sub. 

He imagined that if he were a Dom, he would feel just fine filming by himself. But no, he had to be a sub, and a lonely, terrible one at that. 

The filming began to start, and Harry could practically feel the director’s glare burning into him as he forced himself to smile brightly. Not even ten seconds had passed until the director stopped the filming.

“No, no, no!” he exclaimed, positively fuming as he headed towards Harry. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Louis tense at the sight. “You’re doing it all wrong, curls.” The director stopped in front of him, glaring, and Harry couldn’t help but find it a little funny how the man had to look  _ up  _ to talk to him. “You need to be more … passionate! Charming!” He leaned closer, making Harry tense uncomfortably. “Try it again, and do it better this time.” He turned on his heel and stormed off.

Harry inhaled shakily, looking around awkwardly. Most directors weren’t usually an arse, so he wasn’t quite sure how to react to the entire situation. He saw Louis give him a tight smile and a thumbs-up from the corner, and he smiled back. Inhaling deeply once more, he restarted.

Of course, the director seemed dissatisfied with what Harry was doing  _ again _ , and made it quite obvious that he didn’t like it. “Again!” he barked out, eyebrows furrowed. “You’re not doing it  _ right!  _ Don’t you ever do  _ anything  _ right?!” 

Harry flinched at the harsh words, eyes dropping to the ground. He felt like he’d just been stabbed multiple times. He could never do anything right, and that was because he was a sub. His mum had told him so. God, he was such a fuck-up. He should just leave and—

“Excuse me, I think we need a break from filming.”

Harry looked up to see Louis smiling tightly at the director before gently pulling Harry aside by the arm.

“Hey, it’s okay,” the blue-eyed Dom murmured, slinging an arm around his shoulder and leaning his head on Harry’s shoulder. “We’re just dealing with a dick. All we have to do is finish up to the best of our abilities and leave.”

Harry found his vision being blurred with tears and he wiped them away angrily with his arm. “We’re gonna be here all night since I keep fucking up.”

“You’re not fucking up,” Louis told him firmly. “It’s just the director. He seems to have a problem that no one can fix — arrogance. He’s rude. He’s a rude dick. There’s nothing we can do about it, except to ignore it.”

“And maybe beat him up mentally?” Harry offered with a small smile, wiping his tears away.

Louis broke into a smile. “Yeah,” he agreed. He placed a kiss on Harry’s cheek. “You can do it. Just do what feels right to you. You’re not under any obligation to do what he says.”

“Yeah,” Harry agreed, smiling back at Louis, before they both heard a loud snapping noise coming from behind them. They both turned around and came face to face with the director himself. 

“Break’s over, laddies,” he announced. “Let's get back to filming. Are you going to do it correctly this time?” He stared into Harry's eyes intimidatingly. 

Louis growled. “He's going to do it to the best of his ability, and it will be perfect,” he said firmly. “And I'll be standing off to the side to watch.”

The director looked Louis up and down with a roll of his eyes, before he sighed and clapped his hands. “Well, let's get to it. Hurry along.”

Harry inwardly groaned, but he allowed Louis to lead him back to the set. He was unable to contain the butterflies in his stomach as the Dom touched him, and he blushed slightly at his feelings. It seemed like they would never go away. 

“All right,” the director began, grabbing Harry by the shoulders and maneuvering him where he wanted him, making both the sub and Louis tense, “we’ll be done in no time if you cooperate.”

Louis leaned against the wall with his arms crossed in annoyance, and Harry refrained from laughing when the Dom gave the director the finger behind his back. 

Harry wasn't sure why, but the second round of filming thankfully went better. He wasn't complaining — he was extremely happy when they were finished. The director had an incredibly annoying voice on top of his rude personality, and Harry never wanted to be in his presence again. He was terribly irritating and awful. 

“Good job, Haz,” Louis praised when they were done, making the sub blush. “I think you deserve to rest back in the cozy hotel, yeah?”

The sub nodded shyly, struggling to act natural when Louis ruffled his curls. He was feeling extra submissive after their filming day, especially because of the asshole director. The director brought back terrible memories of the verbal abuse he suffered from his family, so it only made sense that he was feeling rather small. 

Harry knew it wasn't intentional — or at least he didn't think it was — but Louis’ soft spoken words of praise made him feel even more submissive. He hoped he didn't embarrass himself once again in front of the Dom, but it was only inevitable that he found out about his feelings eventually. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Please comment, and tell us what you thought! 
> 
> If you have any ideas, questions, or concerns, you can contact us at: 
> 
> Email: larrypalik123@gmail.com  
> Instagram: stardreamer_422  
> Wattpad: stardreamer_422; ItIsWhatItIs9194xx  
> Fanfiction: Teddy1008; ItIsWhatItIs9194  
> Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/zianourrylad  
> Twitter: stardreamer_422


End file.
